GRS
PRIORITY
CYPHER/CAT A
FM WASHINGTON
132125Z
CONFIDENTIAL
PA
HKK 243//
OLIVED IN REGISTRY NO. 51
14 SEP 1978
RY
182
CONFIDENTIAL
INDEX
No fit
Action Ten
CLE
TO PRIORITY HONG KONG TELNO 31 OF 13 SEPTEMBER, 1978;..
INFO PRIORITY F C 0; UKMIS GENEVA, ROUTINE VIENTIANE, BANGKOK, SAVING TO HANO19
176
YOUR TELNO 1076 TO FCO: VIETNAMESE REFUGEES ON AMERICAN MOHAWK ??? 10 WE TOOK ACTION AS REQUESTED WITH THE OFFICE OF INDO-CHINESE REFUGEE PROGRAMMES AT THE STATE DEPARTMENT. THEY TOOK THE POINTS IN PARAGRAPHS 4(A) AND (B) OF YOUR TEL UNDER REF AND SAID THEY DID NOT OF COURSE REGARD THE AMERICAN MOHAWK CSE AS A PRECEDENT? BUT THEY DISAGREED WITH YOUR VIEW THAT THERE WERE QUOTE NO OVERRIDING HUMANITARIAN REASONS WHY THE SHIP SHOULD NOT HAVE
THEY AGAIN POINTED PROCEEDED TO ITS FIRST PORT OF CALL UNQUOTE
OUT THAT THE AMERICAN MOHAWK IS A CONTAINER SHIP AND THE REFUGEES WERE HOUSED ON DECKS THEY FEEL THAT THEY WOULD NOT HAVE BEEN JUSTIFIED IN INSISTING THAT THE VESSEL PROCEED TO BANGKOK IN THOSE CIRCUMSTANCES IN THE MIDDLE OF THE TYPHOON SEASON
VIENTIANE PASS SAVING TO HANOI
JAY
FILE S
UND
N AM D
OID
PS
SEAD
HK & GD
NEWS D PUSD
PS/MR LUARD
PS/LORD GORONWY
ROBERTS
MR STRATTON
MR HALL
CONFIDENTIAL