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My th
GPS 360 IMMÉDIATE
CYPHER/CAT A
FM FCO 21161?7
RESTRICTED
22 SEP 1976
(NO. 51
AKK 243/5481
ALT.
LAST
T-
XT
TO IMMEDIATE UKMIS GENEVA TELNO 188 OF 21 SEPTEMBER
INFO IMMEDIATE TOKYO HONG KONG SINGAPORE ROUTINE OTTAWA ``KUA
LUMPUR PARIS JAKARTA MANILA.
(45)
YOUR TELNO 277 AND TOKYO TELNO 849: VIETNAMESE REFUGEES: MS MATHER
1. PLEASE TELL UNHCR THAT A GENERAL UNDERTAKING OF RESPONSIBILITY
FOR THESE REFUGEES PRESENTS US WITH VERY GREAT DIFFICULTIES AS
THIS WOULD BE CONTRARY TO OUR IMMIGRATION POLICY, ONCE A UNHCR
REPRESENTATIVE HAS INTERVIEWED THE REFUGEES, WE SHALL. OF COURSE
DE PREPARED TO CONSIDER THE CASES OF ANY WHO EXPRESS A WISH TO
COME TO THE UK.
2. YOU SHOULD REMIND UNHCR THAT, IN THE CASE OF THE REFUGEES ON BOARD THE QUOTE AVA UNQUOTE, THE HONG KONG GOVERNMENT AGREED TO
LAND THEM TEMPORARILY ONLY WHEN THE UNHCR HAD AGREED TO ASSUME
FULL RESPONSIBILITY FOR THEM. WE WOULD HOPE THE UNHCR COULD GIVE
A SIMILAR ASSURANCE IN RESPECT OF THE REFUGEES ON THE QUOTE
MATIER UNQUOTE, AND THAT THIS ASSURANCE WOULD ENABLE THE
AUTHORITIES, EITHER IN JAPAN OR AT THE MATHER'S NEXT PORT OF CALL (SINGAPORE), TO ALLOW THEM TO LAND.
3. WE NOTE (WASHINGTON TELNO 3152, PARA 2) THAT THE AMERICANS
WOULD PREFER THE 20 WHO WISH TO GO TO THE US, TO BE LANDED IN HONG KONG FOR PROCESSING. SUBJECT TO HONG KONG'S VIEWS, WE SUGGEST THAT
THIS PROPOSITION SHOULD NOT BE PURSUED. IT WOULD NOT BE REASONABLE FOR HONG KONG TO BE ASKED TO BECOME THE PRINCIPAL (CR SOLE) TRANSIT
CENTRE FOR VIETNAMESE REFUGEES IN ORDER TO SIMPLIFY AMERICAN
PROCESSING ARRANGEMENTS. AS WASHINGTON WILL HAVE SEEN FROM THEIR
COPY OF THE HONG KONG SECRETARY FOR SECURITY'S LETTER OF 6
SEPTEMBER TO STEWART, THE MAJORITY OF THE REFUGEES FROM THE
QUOTE AVA UNQUOTE AND TWO OTHER VESSELS WHICH ARRIVED IN AUGUST
ARE STILL IN HONG KONG AWAITING RESETTLEMENT ELSEWHERE.
14.
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