9P5200
PRIORITY
•
CYPHER CAT A.
FM HONG KONG 0912352
CONFIDENTIAL
CONFIDENTIAL
TOP COP
TO FLASH STOCKHOLM TELMO 1 OF 9 MAY INFO PRIORITIE
WASHINGTON, OTTAWA, COPENHAGEN, ROUTINE PEKING.
R. COIVED
HONG KONG TELNO 451 TO F C 0.
12 MAY 1975
VIETNAMESE REFUGEES.
REF
NEX)
REF
JVA
HKK18/25
SECRETARY OF STATE HAS AGREED THAT WE NAT, I WE WISH, ISSUE A
PUBLIC STATEMENT ON THE LINES THAT HONG KONG HAS NOW EXHAUSTED ITS
ABILITY TO ABSORB MORE REFUGEES FROM VIETNAM UNLESS WE HAVE GUARAN-
TEES THAT THEY WILL BE ABLE TO FIND PERMANENT HOMES ELSEWHERE.
ACCORDINGLY WE HAVE HIS APPROVAL IF OUR IMMIGRATION AUTHORITIES
REFUSE TO PERMIT THE 27 REFUGEES ON THE SWEDISH VESSEL MS. JAPAN TO
LAND IN HONG KONG WITH THE EXCEPTION OF EXTREME HUMANITARIAN CASES
·E.G. WHERE THERE IS A NEED FOR HOSPITALISATION.
2. WE EXPECT THE JAPAN TO REACH HONG KONG WITHIN THE NEXT 8 HOURS.
AS A FIRST STEP OUR IMMIGRATION AUTHORITIES WILL INSPECT STATE OF
SHIP AND CONDITION OF REFUGEES. IN THE LIGHT OF THE DIRECTOR OF
IMMIGRATIONS REPORT A DECISION WILL BE TAKEN ABOUT LANDING.
IT WOULD BE EXTREMELY HELPFUL IF YOU WOULD URGENTLY ASK SWEDISH
[SP UNDECA AUTHORITIES WHETHER THEY WOULD BE WIRPM SMBQZE A GUARANTEE THAT IF WE LAND THE 27 THEY COULD ACCEPT RESPONSIBILITY FOR THEIR RESETTLEMENT IN SWEDEN OR ELSEWHERE. YOU MAY WISH TO INFORM SWEDISH AUTHORITIES THAT WE ALREADY HAVE 4,800 REFUGEES IN CAMPS AND THAT THE 27, IF LANDED COULD ONLY EXPECT TENTED ACCOMMODATION IN CONDITIONS OF CONSIDERABLE DISCOMFORT DUE TO HEAT AND RAIN. WE ARE
THEREFORE LIKELY TO REFUSE PERMISSION TO LAND UNLESS WE HAVE APPROPR-
IATE ASSURANCES FROM SWEDISH GOVERNMENT.
3. THE AMERICAN CONSULATE GENERAL BELIVE THERE MAY BE 5 OF THE
27 WHO MAY BE ELIGIBLE FOR ENTRY TO CANADA, BUT WE CANNOT CHECK
THIS UNTIL SHIP ARRIVES.
MACLEHOSE
DEPARTMENTAL DISTRIBUTION
HKIOD MY VD SEAD
NAM D
FED
NEWSO WEF D VNO
CONS D
CONS EM UNIT
RESEARCH D. TAM SECT)
(FE SECT)
CONFIDENTIAL