GRES 351
CONFIDENT.
SEVE IN
PRIORITY
CYPHER CAT A
FM RANGOON 380330Z JUL
CONFIDENTIAL
AEGISTRY NO. 51
8 JUL1976
TOP COPY
HKIL 242/$26
16
TO PRIORITY HONG KONG TELNO 7 OF 8 JULY
INFO FCO
YOUR TELNO 684 [SIC ? 674] TO FCO
REFUGEES ON AVA
1. THANK YOU FOR THIS WARNING.
2.
BURMESE FOREIGN MINISTRY ASKED ME TO CALL TODAY.
THEY WERE CONCERNED ABOUT THE POSSIBLE DIFFICULTIES THAT WOULD ARISE FROM THIS CASE.
3. THEIR INFORMATION WAS THAT THE MASTER OF THE AVA HAD PICKED UP THE 98 PASSENGERS FROM A SINKING VESSEL ABOUT 192 MILES SOUTH EAST OF SAIGON. UNDER MARITIME CONVENTION HE WAS OBLIGED TO DO SO. WHETHER THEY WERE REFUGEES ESCAPING FROM VIETNAM WAS UNKNOWN. THE AVA HAS 1,733 TONS OF CARGO TO DISCHARGE AT HONG KONG AND A FURTHER 7,000 TONS TO DISCHARGE IN JAPAN. THE MASTER THEREFORE MADE FOR HIS NEAREST PORT OF DESTINATION IN THE HOPE THAT HIS UNWANTED PASSENGERS COULD BE DISPOSED OF AS QUICKLY AND HUMANELY AS POSSIBLE.
4. ! SAID I WAS UNABLE TO INFLUENCE THE DECISION OF YOUR DIRECTOR OF IMMIGRATION BUT WOULD CONVEY THIS INFORMATION WHICH PRESUMABLY TALLIES WITH THAT YOU WILL HAVE RECEIVED FROM THE AVA BY NOW. I SAID THAT THIS WAS NOT AN ISOLATED CASE OF VIETNAMESE REFUGEES SEEKING ENTRY TO HONG KONG AND THE MASTER WOULD HAVE BEEN BETTER ADVISED TO SEEK INSTRUCTIONS AFTER PICKING UP THE SHIPWRECKED PASSENGERS,
5. GLAD TO KNOW OUT COME.
O'BRIEN
FILES HKD (3) SEAD SAD
FED
MR CORTAZZI NR MALE
CONFIDENTIAL