350
RESTRICTED
DESKBY 110833Z
RESTRICTED
FM WASHINGTON 082126Z JUNE 79
TO IMMEDIATE DOT
TEL NO SHIP 54 OF 8 JUNE
10
YOUR TEL NO SHIP 2 TO BONN:
VIETNAMESE BOATPEOPLE.
HKK 24.3/1
RELEIVED IN REGISTRY NO.
IND
1 5 JUN1979
DESK OFFICER
1041
PA
ction Tuke
по
8761
1. US STATE DEPARTMENT (OFFICE OF MARITIME AFFAIRS) HAS GIVEN US THE FOLLOWING INFORMATION IN REPLY TO THE QUESTIONS IN TELEGRAM UNDER REFERENCE.
QUOTE
E
BETWEEN JULY 1, 1978 AND APRIL 1, 1979, 12 U.S. FLAG OR U.S. OWNED VESSELS PICKED UP A TOTAL OF 855 VIETNAMESE REFUGEES. OF THE 12 VESSELS INVOLVED, 6 WERE U,S, FLAG AND 6 WERE U.S. OWNED. IN ALL CASES, THE REFUGEES WERE ACCEPTED AT THE FIRST PORT OF CALL. WHEN ASKED, THE U.S. GOVERNMENT HAS PLEDGED TO ACCEPT THESE
£4
REFUGEES IF THEY ARE NOT ACCEPTED ELSEWHERE. THE U.S. IS ALSO WILLING TO ACCEPT THOSE REFUGEES WHO HAVE BEEN PICKED UP BY NON-U.S. VESSELS, IF THE REFUGEES ARE RELATIVES OF AMERICAN CITIZENS OR ARE EX- EMPLOYEES OF THE U.S. GOVERNMENT.
UNQUOTE
2. THE STATE DEPARTMENT HAS ALSO TOLD US THAT IN THE MAJORITY OF
CASES THE NEXT PORT OF CALL WAS EITHER HONG KONG CR SINGAPORE.
3. WE WERE ALSO GIVEN A COPY OF THE REPLY SENT BY THE U.S. IN FEBRUARY 1979 IN RESPONSE TO A MESSAGE FROM THE U.N. HIGH COMMISSIONER FOR REFUGEES AND THE SECRETARY GENERAL OF THE INTERGOVERNMENTAL MARITIME CONSULTATIVE ORGANISATION (IMCO). IN PART THIS STATES THAT QUOTE WE HAVE AGAIN BROUGHT THIS MATTER TO THE ATTENTION OF MASTERS OF U.S. FLAG AND U.S. OWNED VESSELS. WE HAVE ALSO REMINDED THEM THAT THE U.S. GOVERNMENT IS PREPARED TO GUARANTEE THE ADMISSION OF ANY INDOCHINESE REFUGEES RESCUED BY A U.S. - FLAG OR U.S. OWNED VESSEL WHO HAVE NOT BEEN OFFERED RESETTLEMENT BY ANOTHER COUNTRY. ALL PERSONS ARRIVING