GR 310
IMMEDIATE
CYPHER CAT A
RESTRICTED
HKK 243/332
Enter & pa
51
19 SEP 1977
11/5 (120
FM TOKYO 169820Z SEPT
RESTRICTED
TO IMMEDIATE FCO TEL NO 692 OF 16-9-77 AND TO IMMEDIATE HONG KONG
RPT FOR INFORMATION PRIORITY MANILA MONROVIA AND ROUTINE UKMIS
GENEVA,
VIETNAMESE REFUGEES: GOLDEN DOLPHIN
1.
THE JAPANESE MFA INFORMED US TODAY THAT A LIBERIAN REGISTERED
VESSEL, THE GOLDEN DOLPHIN, OWNED BY WORLD WIDE SHIPPING OF HONG
KONG, RESCUED 26 VIETNAMESE REFUGEES FROM THE SOUTH CHINA SEA ON
13 SEPTEMBER. THE SHIP'S AGENTS JAPAN MARINE SERVICES LTD HAVE TOLD
US THAT THE VESSEL IS DUE TO ARRIVE IN FUKUYAMA PORT NEAR HIROSHIMA
ON 19 SEPT AND WILL DEPART ON 20 SEPTEMBER FOR PORO POINT IN THE
PHILIPPINES.
2. THE MFA SAID THAT THEY ARE READY TO ALLOW THE REFUGEES TO LAND IN JAPAN TEMPORARILY ON CONDITION THAT HMG SUBMITS A NOTE
VERBALE SAYING THAT THEY WILL ACCEPT ULTIMATE RESPONSIBILITY FOR
ANY REFUGEES WHO. HAVE NOT BEEN SETTLED ELSEWHERE AT SUCH TIME AS
THE JAPANESE AUTHORITIES DEEM APPROPRIATE. FOLLOWING AN ARTICLE IN
THE NEW YORK TIMES THE JAPANESE HAVE NOW RELAXED THE 30 DAY LIMIT
WHICH WAS A CONDITION APPLIED IN PREVIOUS CASES, E.G. W S MATHER. 3. MEMBER OF CHANCERY UNDERTOOK TO REPORT THE DETAILS OF THE
CASE AND EXPLAINED THAT HMG WOULD CONSIDER APPLICATIONS FROM ANY
OF THE REFUGEES, ONCE LANDED, WHO MAY WISH TO SETTLE IN THE UK.
HOWEVER, BEARING IN MIND THE CASE OF THE WS MATHER, WHEN THE JAPAN-
ESE GOVERNMENT PRESSED HMG VERY STRONGLY AS THE FLAG COUNTRY TO
TAKE RESPONSIBILITY FOR THE REFUGEES FROM THAT VESSEL, IT WOULD
SEEM APPROPRIATE IN THIS CASE FOR THE JAPANESE GOVERNMENT TO APPR-
OACH THE LIBERIAN GOVERNMENT IN THE FIRST INSTANCE.
ita THE MFA POINTED OUT THAT SINCE THE VESSEL WAS OWNED BY A HONG
KONG COMPANY THEY WOULD HAVE NO OBJECTION IF THE HONG KONG GOVERN-
MENT WERE TO UNDERTAKE RESPONSIBILITY FOR THE REFUGEES.
DEARLOVE SAID HE COULD NOT SAY WHAT THE HONG KONG GOVERNMENT'S
ATTITUDE WOULD BE.
RESTRICTED
15. See (121