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41414243/528/
TO PRIORITY OTTAWA TEL NO 449 OF 29 OCTOBER
INFO TOKYO UKMIS GENEVA WASHINGTON INFO SAVING HONG KONG.
VIETNAMESE REFUGEES,
1. IN SEPTEMBER, A BERMUDA-REGISTERED SHIP, THE QUOTE W A MATHER UNQUOTE, RESCUED 33 VIETNAMESE REFUGEES, (7 MEN, 8 WOMEN AND 18 CHILDREN) WHILE EN ROUTE TO SINGAPORE. THE. SINGAPOREANS DECLINED TO ALLOW THE REFUGEES TO BE OFF-LOADED. THE QUOTE MATHER UNQUOTE WAS
THEREFORE OBLIGED TO TAKE THEM TO HER NEXT PORT, KOBE (JAPAN). THE JAPANESE LIKEWISE DECLINED TO ALLOW THEM TO LAND UNLESS THEY RECEIVED
AN ASSURANCE THAT SOME GOVERNMENT WOULD ASSUME RESPONSIBILITY FOR THEM WITHIN 30 DAYS, THE JAPANESE (AND THE SHIP'S AGENTS)
APPROACHED US ON THE GROUNDS THAT THE VESSEL WAS UNDER THE BRITISH FLAG.
2. THE QUOTE MATHER UNQUOTE IS OWNED BY CANADIAN PACIFIC (BERMUDA), NONETHELESS WE TOLD THE JAPANESE ON 24 SEPTEMBER THAT,
ON HUMANITARIAN GROUNDS, WE WOULD UNDERTAKE TO ASSUME RESPONSIBILITY
FOR THE REFUGEES, IF NECESSARY, AFTER 30 DAYS. WE HAD FIRST BEEN
ASSURED BY UNHCR THAT THEY WOULD
(A) BE RESPONSIBLE FOR THE CARE AND MAINTENANCE OF THE REFUGEES IN
JAPAN:
(B) MAKE EVERY EFFORT TO RESETTLE THEM WITHIN 30 DAYS:
(C) PAY NECESSARY FARES TO THEIR ULTIMATE PLACE OF GETTLEMENT FOR
ANY REFUGEES NOT PREVIOUSLY RESETTLED.
3. INITIALLY, WE UNDERSTAND THAT 20 OF THE REFUGEES ASKED TO GO TO AMERICA, AND 13 TO CANADA. SUBSEQUENTLY, ALL THE 33 ASKED TO GO TO AMERICA, SPECIFYING AUSTRALIA OR NEW ZEALAND AS ALTERNATIVES, 4. THE AMERICANS HAVE NOW TOLD US THAT IT IS DOUBTFUL WHETHER THEY
WILL BE ABLE TO TAKE THESE REFUGEES. THE JAPANESE HAVE AGREED TO LET
THEM REMAIN IN JAPAN UNTIL 24 NOVEMBER, AND THE UNHCR HAVE TOLD US THAT THEY WILL MAKE URGENT APPROACHES TO OTHER GOVERNMENTS TO TRY
TO SECURE THEIR SETTLEMENT.
/5. PLEASE
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