PARLIAMENTARY EARLY DAY MOTION
Refugees from Vietnam (14 December 1989)

That this House notes with very few exceptions, refugees from Vietnam are fleeing not persecution, but extreme poverty; further notes that this poverty has a variety of causes including: (a) 35 years of continous warfare, (b) the imposition of a Stalinist economic and political system and (c) an aid and trade embargo imposed by the United States of America since 1975 and an aid and credit embargo imposed by EEC countries since 1979; believes that the withdrawal of Vietnamese troops from Cambodia and recent substantial changes in economic and other policies removes whatever justification there may have been for the pursuit of economic sanctions against Vietnam; and calls upon the British Government to restore development aid and credit facilities to Vietnam, to urge other EEC governments to do the same, and to use its influence with the United States government to end its trade and aid embargo or else to accept that the flow of refugees from Vietnam to Hong Kong and elsewhere will continue indefinitely.

Sponsored by:
Mr Chris Mullin (Labour)