GRS526
CONFIDENTIAL
CONFIDENTIAL
876
Hkk 243/1
RECEIVES
2523 1
**
FA
0100%
DESKBY 010100%
FM FCO 311230Z MAY 78
TO IMMEDIATE SEQUL
TELEGRAM NUMBER 53 OF 31 MAY
DESK O INDEX
ло
INFO IMMEDIATE HONG KONG PEKING WASHINGTON
INFO SAVING HANOI
BANGKOK
Be
See (948).
VIETNAMESE REFUGEES
1. WE DO NOT WISH TO LEAVE UNEXPLORED ANY POSSIBLE CHANNEL FOR
BRINGING PRESSURE TO PEAR ON THE TAIWANESE AUTHORITIES TO ADMIT
THE REFUGEES ON THE ROACHRANK AND TO ENGAGE GOVERNMENTS IN
SEEKING TO HELP MORE WIDELY WITH THE FLOOD OF REFUGEES.
CORTAZZI HAS THEREFORE WRITTEN TO THE KOREAN AMBASSADOR IN
THE FOLLOWING TERMS TO FOLLOW UP A CONVERSATION WITH PTM ON
30 MAY. TEXT OF LETTER BEGINS:
'WHEN WE MET AT DINNER LAST NIGHT I OUTLINED OUR
CONCERNS OVER REFUGEES FROM VIETNAM. I MENTIONED
IN PARTICULAR THE PROBLEMS FACING HONG KONG AND OUR
DIFFICULTIES IN TAKING IN MOPË PEFUGEES. AS YOU KNOW THE
GOVERNMENT DECIDED ON 28 MAY TO TAKE OVER 900 PEFUGEES
PICKED UP AT SEA BY THE M/V SIBONGA. ANOTHER FRITISH
SHIP THE ROACHBANK HAS PICKED UP JUST UNDER 300 MORE
REFUGEES WHOSE LIVES WERE IN DANGER IN THEIR SKALL POATS.
MANY OF THESE ARE CHILDREN. THE POACHBANK WHICH SAILED
TO ITS NEXT PORT OF CALL IN TAIWAN HAS SO FAR BEEN
REFUSED ENTRY BY THE AUTHORITIES IN TAIWAN. ON 29 MAY
THE BRITISH GOVERNMENT APPEALED TO THE AUTHORITIES IN
TAIWAN TO ADMIT THESE PERUGERS AND PLAY THEIR PART IN
DEALING WITH THE CPISIS FACING ASIA (A COPY OF THE PRESS
STATEMENT IS FHCLOSED). A LARGE PROPOPTICH OF THESE
REFUGEES ARE FTHNIC CHINESE AND ALL ARE FLEEING FROM
AN OPPRESSIVE COMMUNIST RECTUE.
AS YOU KNOW WE DO NOT RECCONISE THE REGIME IN TATHAN
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