00 UKMIS GENEVA
GR 350
CYPHER/CAT A
26 MAY 1973
JAKKI8/25
FM FCO 281045Z
CONFIDENTIAL
IG
IMMEDIATE UKMIS GENEVA TELNO 190 OF 28 MAY.
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1016
FOLLOWING TELEGRAM NOW REPEATED TO YOU AT REQUEST OF H.K. AND 1.0. DEPARTMENT. WAS RECEIVED FROM HONG KONG TELNO 507 QE 22 MAY 75.
(109)
(128)
YOUR TELEGRAM NO, 396 (NOT REPEATED ELSEWHERE) AND CANBERRA TELEGRAM NO 443: VIETNAMESE REFUGEES IN HONG KONG.
M
WE HAVE HAD ONLY ONE REFUGEE WHO HAS EXPRESSED A WISH TO RETURN TO VIETNAM. IT IS NOT CERTAIN THAT HE UNDERSTOOD THE QUESTION, 2. ON THE OTHER HAND, THERE HAVE BEEN A FEW ANXIOUS ENQUIRIES ABOUT THE POSSIBILITY OF COMPULSORY REPATRIATION.
3. WHEN THE REFUGEES ON BOARD CLARA MAERSK ARRIVED IN HONG KONG THEY WERE GIVEN AN ASSURANCE THAT THEY WOULD BE SAFE IN HONG KONG UNTIL THEIR RESETTLEMENT HAD BEEN ARRANGED ELSEWHERE. THEY WERE SPECIFICALLY TOLD THAT THEY WOULD NOT BE SENT BACK TO VIETNAM AGAINST THEIR WILL,
4. IT IS TOO EARLY YET TO FORECAST:
(A) HOW MANY REFUGGES WE SHALL BE ABLE TO RESETTLE ELSEWHERE: AND (B) HOW THOSE WHO ARE HERE WOULD REACT TO A PROPOSAL THAT THEY
WOULD BE FREE TO RETURN TO VIETNAM WITHOUT FEAR OF PERSECUTION. 5. BUT IT IS UNLIKELY THEY COULD BE PERSUADED TO GO VOLUNTARILY UNTIL:-
(A) THEIR HOPES OF RESETTLEMENT ELSEWHERE HAVE FADED AND THEIR DISSATISFACTION WITH THEIR SITUATION HERE HAS INCREASED: AND (B) THEY ARE ABLE TO FORM A VIEW ON CONDITIONS IN VIETNAM BASED ON THEIR OWN NEWS OR ON OURS OR BOTH. I FEAR THIS WILL BE A MATTER OF MONTHS RATHER THAN WEEKS.
6. THE P R G HAS ALREADY INDICATED TO ASEAN GOVERNMENTS THAT REFUGEES WOULD BE WELCOME TO RETURN TO VIETNAM. IF WE WERE TO SEEK AND OBTAIN FURTHER ASSURANCES FROM THE P R G BEFORE EITHER WE OR THE REFUGEES WERE ABLE TO JUDGE THEIR VALIDITY, THEY COULD NOT INFLUENCE THE REFUGEES BUT THEY MIGHT PROVIDE POTENTIAL HOST COUNTRIES WITH AN EXCUSE FOR SUSPENDING ACTION.
7. I SUGGEST THAT LATER ON, WHEN THINGS HAVE SETTLED DOWN IN SOUUTH VIETNAM AND RELIABLE NEWS IS AVAILABLE AND PREFERABLY OUR OWN MISSION IS OPERATIVE, THERE COULD BE MERIT IN SUCH AN INITIATIVE, BUT THE PRESENT TIME SEEMS PREMATURE.
8. I EXPECT THAT BY THE FIRST WEEK IN JUNE WE SHOULD BE ABLE TO
GIVE A CLEARER PICTURE FROM HERE ON HOW MANY REFUGEES WE ARE LIKELY TO BE SADDLED WITH ONCE THE FIRST WAVE OF RESETTLEMENT HAS PASSED. PRESENT INDICATIONS ARE THAT THE NUMBER LEFT WILL BE SUBSTANTIAL.
CALLAGHAN
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