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TO IMMEDIATE TOKYO TELEGRAM NUMBER 472 OF 16 SEPTEMBER,
AND TO HONG KONG,
INFO ROUTINE MANILA, UKMIS GENEVA, MONROVIA.
120
YOUR TELEGRAM NUMBER 692 VIETNAMESE REFUGEES,
1. IT IS LAMENTABLE THAT THE JAPANESE CONTINUE TO INSIST ON
UNDERTAKINGS FROM THIRD COUNTRIES BEFORE ALLOWING REFUGEES, WHO HAVE BEEN RESCUED AT SEA, TO DISEMBARK AT THEIR PORTS, YOU SHOULD THEREFORE, MAKE REPLY ON THE FOLLOWING LINES AT WHATEVER LEVEL YOU
CONSIDER APPROPRIATE:
A) HMG WILL GIVE SYMPATHETIC CONSIDERATION TO APPLICATIONS FROM
ANY OF THE GROUP OF REFUGEES PICKED UP BY THE GOLDEN DOLPHIN
WHO WISH TO COME TO THE UK, PROVIDED THESE ARE PROCESSED IN
THE NORMAL WAY THROUGH UNHCR,
(B) HMG CANNOT HOWEVER ACCEPT QUOTE ULTIMATE RESPONSIBILITY UNQUOTE
FOR THESE REFUGEES. RESPONSIBILITY FOR THEIR CARE AND MAINTENANCE
AND EVENTUAL RELOCATION, ONCE LANDED, RESTS WITH THE UNHCR: SUCH RESPONSIBILITY HAS BEEN GIVEN TO UNHCR BY GOVERNMENTS, INCLUDING THE JAPANESE GOVERNMENT, WHO SHOULD THEREFORE ASSIST AND NOT
OBSTRUCT THE HIGH COMMISSIONER IN HIS TASK. WE UNDERSTAND UNHCR
HAVE INDEED ALREADY SET MEASURES IN HAND TO LOOK AFTER THIS PRESENT
GROUP. WE WOULD HOPE, ON HUMANITARIAN GROUNDS, THAT THE PRESENT
GROUP BE ALLOWED TO LAND ON THE USUAL UNDERTAKING WHICH UNHCR WILL
PROVIDE.
(C) SHIPS' MASTERS HAVE A RIGHT TO EXPECT TO BE ABLE TO PUT DOWN, AT THE SHIPS NEXT PORT OF CALL, ANY PERSONS RESCUED AT SEA, ΤΟ
DEVIATE FROM THIS PRINCIPLE COULD RESULT IN SHIPS REFUSING TO PICK
UP SURVIVORS WITH CONSEQUENT LOSS OF LIFE. THE HIGH COMMISSIONER
HAS ALREADY APPEALED TO GOVERNMENTS TO ADOPT A MORE HUMANE AND LESS
INFLEXIBLE ATTITUDE TOWARDS THE PLIGHT OF THESE REFUGEES,
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See (122)