PP WELLINGTON
GR 200A
CYPHER/CAT A
༡༦
FM FCO 141540Z
CONFIDENTIAL
REF.
TO PRIORITY WELLINGTON TELNO 151 OF 14 MAY 1975
RO
味
*2
FOLLOWING TELEGRAM NOW REPEATED TO YOU AT REQUEST OF DEPARTMENT
WAS RECEIVED FROM HONG KONG TELEGRAM NO 476 OF 14 MAY
INFO IMMEDIATE WASHINGTON PRIORITY CANBERRA, STOCKHOLM, COPENHAGEN, OTTAWA,
PARIS.
VIETNAMESE REFUGEES.
US CONSULATE-GENERAL HAVE INFORMED US THAT US SHIP, THE ' OREGON' OF STATES LINES, HAVING PICKED UP 103 SOUTH VIETNAMESE REFUGEES IN
THE SOUTH CHINA SEA, IS DUE TO ARRIVE HONG KONG EITHER LATE TOMORROW OR EARLY MORNING 16 MAY. WE UNDERSTAND THAT REFUGEES WERE REFUSED
PERMISSION TO LAND IN BANGKOK WHEN SHIP DOCKED THERE.
2. AMERICANS ARE AWARE OF OUR REFUSAL OF PERMISSION TO LAND IN THE
CASE OF THE 27 ON THE MS JAPAN (YOUR TELNO. 367 OF 9 MAY). HOWEVER,
US CONSUL-GENERAL HOPES THAT WE MIGHT GIVE THEM TEMPORARY FACILITIES
HERE, IF HE IS IN A POSITION TO GIVE A SATISFACTORY GUARANTEE THAT THE 103 WILL PROCEED ONWARDS TO GUAM OR THE U S. HE IS URGENTLY CONTACTING US TASK FORCE IN WASHINGTON.
3. SHORT STOP-OVER FACILITIES COULD BE ALLOWED HERE PROVIDED:
(A) THAT GROUP COULD NOT COME ASHORE UNTIL THEY HAD BEEN DOCUMENTED, IF NECESSARY BY A SUITABLE LETTER FROM THE US CONSUL-GENRAL ON THE SPOT:
(B) THAT THEY WOULD STOP-OVER IN HONG KONG ONLY UNTIL FIRST AVAILABLE MEANS OF ONWARD TRANSPORT:
(C) THAT THE SPONSORING BODY OR COUNTRY ACCEPTED COMPLETE RESPONSIBILITY FOR THEIR ACCOMMODATION AND EXPENSES IN HONG KONG.
4. IF THESE CONDITIONS CANNOT BE MET, WE SHALL HAVE TO KEEP THE REFUGEES ON THE SHIP UNTIL IT DEPARTS FOR SEATTLE. BUT WE
WOULD, AS ALREADY INDICATED, ALLOW ASHORE ANYONE WHO REQUIRED HOSPITALISATION OR WHERE THERE WERE EXCEPTIONAL HUMANITARIAN REASONS.
CALLAGHAN