GR 300
IMMEDIATE
DESKEY 221100Z
CYPHER CAT/A
RESTRICTED
COV IN
REGISTRY NO. 51
FM TOKYO 220945Z
24 SEP 1976
RESTRICTED
Enter pr
13)
TIJ.2%;
132
DESK BY 2211g0Z
TO IMMEDIATE FCO TELNO 857 OF 22 SEPTEMBER 1976...
AND TO IMMEDIATE HONG KONG, SINGAPORE, UKMIS GENEVA, ROUTINE TO OTTAWA, KUALA LUMPUR, PARIS, JAKARTA, MANILA AND WASHINGTON...
YOUR TELNO 188 AND UKMIS GENEVA TELNO 278: VIETNAMESE REFUGEES: MS MATHER.
JS)
1. WE WERE ABLE TO DISCOVER THAT IN THE CASE OF TWO PANAMANIAN REGISTERED VESSELS THE ''ENTERPRISE'' AND ''CAPE ERIMO'' ABOUT. WHICH THE JAPANESE HAVE KEPT VERY QUIET, UNHCR ASSURANCES ALONG THE LINES OF THOSE GIVEN FOR THE REFUGEES ON BOARD THE BURMESE VESSEL ''AVA'' WERE ACCYHTED BY THE JAPANESE. WE
ARE SURPRISED THAT UNHCR DID NOT MENTION THIS, JAPANESE ACCEPTANCE WAS GIVEN ON THE BASIS THAT THESE VESSELS WERE SAILING UNDER FLAGS OF CONVENIENCE, THE ''ENTERPRISE'' IS OWNED BY THE LINNAN SHIPPING COMPANY OF HONG KONG AND THE 'CAPE ERIMO'' BY TO YO MARINE.
2. WE HAVE SPOKEN TO THE MFA AS INSTRUCTED, WITH A REQUEST
TO THE MINISTRY OF JUSTICE TO RECONSIDER THEIR POSITION.
WE ADDED THAT SINCE IT IS OUR UNDERSTANDING THAT WHILE THE ''MATHER'' IS REGISTERED IN BERMUDA, IT IS IN FACT CANADIAN-OWNED AND THE FLAG OF CONVENIENCE ARGUMENT WOULD APPEAR TO APPLY EQUALLY
IN THIS CASE.
RESTRICTED
13. THE MFA