ངག་མ་་་་་་་ལསར
GR 150
IMMEDIATE
PHER CAT A
FM F C O 301642Z
CONFIDENTIAL
CONFIDENTIAL
(12)
2 AUG 1976
Love 243/548//
TO IMMEDIATE HONG..KONG TELNO 596 OF 30 JULY
INFO UKMIS GENEVA, WASHINGTON LAC:
-YOUR TELNO 757
VIETNAMESE REFUGEES.
A.
110
LEXT
RET.
115)
96
1. MINISTERS HAD UNDERSTOOD FROM PARA 2 OF YOUR TELNO 748 THAT THE REFUGEES WOULD ACTUALLY HAVE BEEN LANDED BY NOW AND WERE CONCERNED AT THE SUGGESTION THAT IT MIGHT TAKE THREE OR FOUR MORE DAYS. THEY THINK THAT TO INSIST ON THEIR REMAINING LONGER ON THE SHI WHEN WE HAVE IN PRINCIPLE AGREED TO THEIR LANDING COULD CAUSE UNNECESSARY CRITICISM.
2. WE QUITE UNDERSTAND YOUR CONCERN THAT UNHCR SHOULD BE SEEN IN HONG KONG TO TAKE FULL RESPONSIBILITY FOR THESE REFUGEES, BUT IS THIS NOT ASSURED ALREADY BY THE TEXT OF YOUR STATEMENT? WE HAVE NOTED WHAT THE DIRECTOR OF IMMIGRATION PROPOSED TO SAY IN CONJUNCTION WITH THE PRESS RELEASE (YOUR PARA 3) AND VERY MUCH HOPE THAT IT WILL. BE POSSIBLE TO ALLOW THE REFUGEES TO DISEMBARK WITHOUT ANY SUBSTANTIAL FURTHER DELAY.
CROSLAND
FILES
HKD
UN DEFT
SEAD
NTD
ト
NAD
FED
CONS DEPT
NEWS DEPT
MVD
PS/LORD GORONWY-ROBERTS PS/MR LUARD
MR LARMOUR
MR MALE
MR CORTAZZI
MR EDMONDS MR HAWLEY
CONFIDENTIAL
COPIES TO:
MR RUSHFORD LEGAL ADVISERS
MR KIDD HONG KONG GOVT OFFICE
MR BRENNAN
MR MACDOWELL
}
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