CONFIDENTIAL
Tor
GRPS 295
IMMEDIATE
CYPHER/CAT A AND BY BAG
FM F C O 140915Z
CONFIDENTIAL
RECEIVED IN
REGISTRY NO. 51
15 JUL1976
HILK(203/201
TO INMEDIATE UKHIS GENEVA TELEGRAM NUMBER 132 OF 14 JULY 1976 INFO IMMEDIATE HONG KONG, RANGOON AND PEKING, INFO SAVING TO HANOI.
LAST
R:
126
NEXT
YOUR TELMO 205: VIETNAMESE REFUGEES.
RET.
1. 1 UNDERSTAND THAT THE QUOTE AVA UNQUOTE WAS ALLOWED TO DOCK TODAY IN HONG KONG FOR REPROVISIONING. THREE HOSPITAL CASES WERE · DISEMBARKED AND THE SHIP HAS NOW TAKEN UP STATION AGAIN OFF HONG KONG WHERE THE WEATHER IS REPORTED TO BE GOOD.
2. PLEASE SO INFORM THE UNIICR. YOU SHOULD THANK HIM FOR HIS OFFER BUT SAY THAT IT WOULD BE MORE APPROPRIATELY ADDRESSED TO
THE BURNESE AUTHORITIES. YOU MAY EXPLAIN THAT, WHILE IT MIGHT AT FIRST SIGHT SEEM REASONABLE TO ASK HONG KONG TO ASSUME RESPONSIBILITY IN THIS ONE CASE, HONG KONG HAVE PARTICULAR IMMIGRATION PROBLEMS WHICH MAKE IT IMPOSSIBLE TO ESTABLISH A PRECEDENT WHICH OTHERS MAY SEEK TO EXPLOIT SPI COLON HONG KONG ACCEPTED OVER 4,000 REFUGEES LAST YEAR AT SOME COST AND, EVEN IN THE CRISIS ATMOSPHERE FOLLOWING THE END OF THE WAR IN VIETNAM, NOT ALL FOUND PERMANENT HOMES ELSEWHERE. FURTHERMORE, HONG KONG HAS FOUND IT NECESSARY TO GRANT ASYLUM TO SOME 4,000/5,000 IMMIGRANTS FROM VIETNAM WHO HAVE ILLEGALLY EXTERED HONG KONG SINCE SMI COLON AND THAT THIS IS ALREADY CREATING DIFFICULTIES WITH THE HONG KONG POPULATION.
3. IN THE CIRCUMSTANCES, THE BEST THAT HONG KONG CAN DO IS TO CO-OPERATE IN THE AIR-LIFTING OF THE QUOTE AVA UNQUOTE REFUGEES TO RANGOON. THE HONG KONG AUTHORITIES HAVE ALREADY OFFERED TO DO THIS IN CO-OPERATION WITH THE BURMESE CONSUL GENERAL AND THE LOCAL REPRESENTATIVE OF ICE. IF THE UNPOR'S.
CONFIDENTIAL
/ REPRESENTATIVE