IMMEDIATE
CYPHER/CAT A
GRS 400
FM HONG KONG 300400Z
Jol
CONFIDENTIAL
DESKBY F C O 3008ØØZ
“CONFIDENTIAL
୮
30 JUL1976
51
HKK242/548/1
TO IMMEDIATE F C O TELEGRAM NO 757 OF 30 JULY
INFO IMMEDIATE UKMIS GENEVA, KUALA LUMPUR, RANGOON, PRIORITY WASHINGTON, TOKYO, PARIS AND OTTAWA
INFO ROUTINE VIENTIANE FOR SAVING TO HANOI.
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96
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MY TELEGRAM NO 748 TO YOU, PARA 9 AND UKMIS GENEVA TELEGRAMS NO 234 AND NO 237 TO YOU: VIETNAMESE REFUGEES.
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FOLLOWING IS TEXT OF STATEMENT TO BE ISSUED LATER TODAY BY GOVERNMENT INFORMATION SERVICES:
BEGINS :-
''THE HONG KONG GOVERNMENT ANNOUNCED TODAY THAT THE UNITED
NATIONS HIGH COMMISSIONER FOR REFUGEES HAD AGREED TO ASSUME RESPONSIBILITY FOR THE .94 VIETNAMESE REFUGEES STILL ABOARD THE
BURMESE VESSEL M.V. 'AVA'.
A U.N.H.C.R. REPRESENTATIVE IS EXPECTED TO ARRIVE IN HONG KONG SHORTLY TO ARRANGE TEMPORARY ACCOMMODATION FOR THE REFUGEES IN HONG KONG PENDING THEIR PERMANENT SETTLEMENT IN THE UNITED STATES,
CANADA AND ELSEWHERE.
FOR THE TIME BEING THE REFUGEES WILL REMAIN ON BOARD THE 'AVA', WHICH IS ANCHORED IN THE INNER HARBOUR. CONDITIONS ON BOARD ARE
GOOD AND MORALE IS HIGH.''
ENDS.
2. LENGTH OF TIME THAT REFUGEES REMAIN ON "AVA' WILL OF COURSE DEPEND ON HOW QUICKLY U.N.H.C.R.'S REPRESENTATIVE MOVES AFTER HE ARRIVES HERE TONIGHT. WE IMAGINE IT WILL BE FOR THREE OR FOUR DAYS AT THE MOST. BURMESE CONSUL-GENERAL HAS BEEN INFORMED CONFIDENTIALLY AND HAS EXPRESSED GREAT GRATITUDE TO THE HONG KONG
GOVERNMENT FOR ITS HANDLING OF THE CASE. .
CONFIDENTIAL
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