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4. THE UNHCR HAS SAID THAT, IF THE REFUGEES WERE ALLOWED TO DISEMBARK AT HONG KONG, THEY WOULD ASSUME RESPONSIBILITY FOR THE COSTS OF THEIR CARE AND MAINTENANCE THERE, AND WOULD UNDERTAKE TO FIND PERMANENT. HORES ELSEWHERE. HONG KONG HAVE SAID
THAT THE UNHCR HADE LITTLE PRACTICAL CONTRIBUTION TO THE RESETTLE-
MENT OF VIETNAMESE REFUGEES LAST YEAR AND IN THE ABSENCE OF CLEAR
ASSURANCES BY OTHER GOVERNMENTS THAT THEY ARE WILLING TO ADMIT
VIETNAMESE REFUGEES HONG KONG ARE SCEPTICAL OF ANY UNDERTAKING
BY THE UNHCR TO FIND COUNTRIES OF RESETTLEMENT WITHIN A TOLERABLE
TIME SCALE. INSTEAD, HONG KONG HAVE SUGGESTED THAT ONE POSSIBLE
SOLUTION MIGHT LIE IN THE UNHCR ARRANGING FOR THE REFUGEES ·
TO BE FLOWN TO RANGOON WHERE THEY COULD BE ADMITTED FOR QUOTE
TEMPORARY POLITICAL ASYLUM UNQUOTE PENDING PERMANENT RESETTLEMENT.
AT OUR REQUEST, THE UNHCR ARE PUTTING THIS POSSIBILITY TO THE
BURMESE AUTHORITIES, AND CORTAZZI SPOKE TO THE BURMESE AMBASSADOR
ABOUT IT ON 15 JULY,
5. WE ARE NOT AT ALL OPTIMISTIC THAT THE BURMESE WILL CO-OPERATE
WITH THIS SCHEME. MEANWHILE, THERE HAVE BEEN PRESS REPORTS THAT
US OFFICIALS IN HONG KONG HAVE INTERVIEVED THE REFUGEES ABOARD THE QUOTE AVA UNQUOTE (VE ARE ASKING HONG KONG TO CLARIFY THESE REPORTS), ANOTHER POSSIBILITY, SUGGESTED BY THE UNHCR, IS THAT THE REFUGEES COULD STAY ON BOARD THE QUOTE AVA UNQUOTE UNTIL
SHE REACHES YOKOHAMA, HER NEXT PORT OF CALL, WHEN THE JAPANESE
MIGHT GRANT THEM TEMPORARY ASYLUM.
6. IN VIEW OF THE CLOSE AMERICAM INTEREST IN THE FATE OF THE
VIETNAMESE REFUGEES, GRATEFUL IF YOU WOULD INFORM THE STATE
DEPARTMENT OF THE ABOVE, AND REPORT ANY REACTIONS, CROSLAND
FILES
HONG KONGD (3)
NAMD
!
UND
SEAD
FED
NEW3 D
PS/LORD GORON WY-ROBERTS
MR CORTAZZI
2
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