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AKK 243/1
RECEIVED IN REGISTRY NO. 51
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5 MAY 1378
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TO IMMEDIATE BANGKOK TELNO 136 OF 4 MAY
AND TO GOVERNOR HONG KONG
INFO PRIORITY UKMIS GENEVA
ملوا
YOUR TELNOS 196/197 AND HONG KONG TELNO 567:
VIETNAMESE REFUGEES ABOARD MV SIBONGA
1. BECAUSE OF THE PROBLEMS OF PRECEDENT CITED BY HONG KONG AND THE PRINCIPLE THAT DISTRESSED PERSONS RESCUED AT SE A SHOULD BE ALLOWED TO LAND AT THE SHIP'S FIRST PORT OF CALL, WE SHOULD GREATLY PREFER THESE REFUGEES TO DISEMBARK IN BANGKOK.
2. THERE IS ADVANTAGE, IN AS MANY AS POSSIBLE OF THEM GOING TO COUNTRIES OF THEIR CHOICE AND WE HOPE THAT THE THAI GOVERNMENT CAN AGREE TO THEIR REMAINING IN THAILAND WHILE ARRANGEMENTS FOR THEIR FUTURE ARE BEING MADE. THE HOME OFFICE HAVE CONFIRMED, AND YOU MAY SO GUARANTEE TO THE THAIS AND TO UNHCR, THAT MEMBERS OF THE GROUP WHO CANNOT BE RESETTLED ELSEWHERE WITHIN 3 MONTHS WILL BE ACCEPTED INTO THE UK.
3. ON THIS BASIS, WE HOPE UNHCR WILL BE ABLE TO GET THE REFUGEES TO DISEMBARK IN BANGKOK AND THAT YOU WILL BE ABLE TO
PERSUADE THE THAI GOVERNMENT TO ALLOW THEM TO DO SO. ONLY IF THE THAI AUTHORITIES REFUSE PERMISSION FOR THE REFUGEES TO LAND ON THE ABOVE TERMS, ARE WE WILLING FOR THEM TO BE TAKEN ON TO HONG KONG. (YOU SHOULD NOT, HOWEVER, DISCLOSE THIS ALTERNATIVE IN ADVANCE TO THE THAIS). WE WOULD GUARANTEE TO TRANSFER THE GROUP FROM HONG KONG TO THE UK AS SOON AS ARRANGEMENTS COULD BE
MADE FOR THEIR RECEPTION HERE.
/4. FOR
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