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GRPS 439
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FM BRUNEI 250335Z JUE
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TO PRIORITY FCO TELNO 163 OF 25 JULY
REC
К
26 JUL 1977 PKK 243/332
INFO KUALA LUMPUR MANILA HONG KONG JAKARTA AND UKMIS GENEVA. YOUR TELNO 158: VIETNAMESE REFUGEES.
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1. IN THIS LATEST CASE I QUESTIONED ROBERTS AND WRIGHT, THE FLOTILLA COMMANDER, CLOSELY, AND SATISFIED MYSELF THAT THE SEAGOING
HUMANITIES WERE BEING FULLY OBSERVED. DURING THE THREE DAYS THE
VIETNAMESE REFUGEES WERE IN BRUNEI THEIR CRAFT WAS GIVEN A TREMENDOUS OVERHAUL AND LEFT IN GOOD ORDER.
2.
THE GENERAL BRUNEI ATTITUDE TOWARDS VIETNAMESE REFUGEES
IS DISAPPOINTING. BUT IT IS LESS ONE OF POSITIVE INHUMANITY
THAN OF SEEKING THE CONTINUED INSULATION OF THEIR STATE FROM ALL THAT IS UNCOMFORTABLE NEARBY.
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I HAVE HOWEVER MADE IT CLEAR TO COLONEL ROBERTS THAT THERE COULD NEVER BE QUESTION OF BRITISH OFFICERS ON LOAN HERE ACCEPTING BRUNEI ORDERS WHICH, WHETHER FROM CASUALNESS OR MISUNDERSTANDING, COULD CLEARLY LEAD DIRECTLY TO TRAGEDY AT SEA. I SAID THAT IN THESE CIRCUMSTANCES I WOULD APPROACH THE SULTAN. ON THIS ROBERTS AND I ARE WHOLLY FOLLOWING WORDS UNDERLINED AD IDEM CEASE UNDERLINING, AND I WAS ABLE BRIEFLY TO TOUCH ON THE HUMANITARIAN PROBLEM WHEN I WAS WITH THE SULTAN YESTERDAY.
4. WHAT MIGHT HOWEVER FOLLOW IN ANY FUTURE CASE, IS THAT IF OUR REPRESENTATIONS WERE EFFECTIVE, WE COULD WELL FIND OURSELVES BEING ASKED TO ASSUME UNHCR FUNCTIONS, INCLUDING THE PROVISION OF ACCOMMODATION WITH THE GARRISON AT SERIA, FOR ANY GROUP WHOSE CRAFT COULD NOT BE MADE SEAWORTHY.
FCO PASS ROUTINE MANILA HONG KONG JAKARTA AND UKMIS GENEVA,
DAVIDSON FILES
[REPEATED AS REQUESTED]
LEGAL ADVISERS
UN DILEM SEAD
FS/LORD CORONWY POFERES
PS/MR LUARD
HK&GU
MVD
MR WEIR
COPIES TO:
MR CORTAZZI MR COLIN BIRT HOME MR HAWLEY
OFFICE CROYDON
CONFIDENTIAL