R359
982
CONFIDENTAL
HKK 244/1
RECEIVED IN REGIST
INL
N.
- 7 JUN1979
OFFICER,
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CONFIDENTIAL
FM LISBON 061490Z JUN
TO IMMEDIATE FCO
TELNO 142 OF 6 JUNE
895
INFO HONGKONG (FOR GOVERNOR), BRASILIA, UKMIS NEWYORK,
UKMIS GENEVA, WASHINGTON.
SAVING TO HANOI, JAKARTA, BANGKOK, MANILA, SINGAPORE, KUALA LUMPUR, MOSCOW, PARIS..
YOUR TELNO. 71 (NOT RECEIVED HERE UNTIL 5 JUNE):
VIETNAMESE REFUGEES
1. | FOLLOWED UP TODAY WITH ANTONIO COSTA LOBO
THE UNDER SECRETARY RESPONSIBLE IN THE FOREIGN MINISTRY,
AND SEPARATELY WITH OCTAVIO VALERIO, THE PRIME MINISTER'S FOREIGN AFFAIRS ADVISER (MACAO COMES UNDER THE PRIME MINISTER'S OFFICE). NEITHER HAD YET SEEN A DETAILED REPORT FROM THE PORTUGUESE AMBASSADOR OF HIS CONVERSATION WITH CORTAZZI AND NEITHER SEEMED AWARE OF THE SCALE OF THE CRISIS. BOTH RECPONDED POSITIVELY ON A PERSONAL BASIS, TO THE FIRST THREE REQUESTS CORTAZZI HAD MADE, THOUGH THEY STRESSED THAT PORTUGAL HERSELF COULD ONLY ACCEPT A FEW REFUGEES, AS A GESTURE SEMI COLON THEY WERE ALREADY HAVING DIFFICULTIES OVER A REQUEST FROM THE ICRC THAT PORTUGUAL SHOULD TAKE REFUGEES FROM EAGT
TIMOR.
2. THEY SAID THAT THE PORTUGUESE GOVERNMENT WAS UNDER PRESSURE FROM THE MACAO AUTHORITIES TO FIND SOME WAY OF TAKING AWAY THE REFUGEES ALREADY THERE. THEY DENIED THAT BOATS TURNED MAT FROM MACAO WERE STEERED IN THE DIRECTION OF HONG VONG. I DREW ON PARAGRAPH 2 OF WILSON'S LETTER OF 1 MAY TO SIMPSON-ÖRLEDAR ON THIS POINT.
3. ON REPRESENTATION FOR THE UNHCR IN MACAO NEITHER COSTA LOBO NOR VALERIO WAS AWARE THAT THERE WAS A PROBLEM SEMI COLON THEY HAD HEARD NOTHING ON THIS EITHER FROM GENEVA OR MACAO, THEY WERE BOTH DISPOSED TO THINK THAT IT MADE SENSE THAT THE UNHCR SHOULD HAVE A REPRESENTATIVE THERE, PERHAPS HARTLING COULD BE ENCOURAGED TO APPROACH THE PORTUGUESE DIRECT THROUGH
HIS OFFICE HERE.
CONFIDENTAL
14. IT WAS KEPT