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c.c.
Mr Murray
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220.6
VIETNAMESE REFUGEES
1. The PUS has asked a number of questions.
THE PRESENT POSITION ON THE ROACHBANK
2. In the light of the Prime Minister's instructions, we made approaches through the Americans, the Koreans and the Singapore Prime Minister. The Americans have made representations but have told us that they cannot do any more. The Koreans also passed a message to the Taiwanese authorities and have told us that the Taiwanese may be prepared to allow the refugees to land and that they may take a few. The implication of a confusing message is that their offer is subject to a guarantee from us that we would take the remainder. Lee Kuan Yew has said that he will approach the Taiwanese but was not optimistic. We are pressing for further information but have heard no more.
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3. The Bank Line with whom we are in touch are trying to clarify the Taiwanese attitude. They are prepared to send a Captain Mossop who has been dealing with this to Taiwan at very short notice to try to sort things out on the spot. But he will clearly need a clear undertaking about what we are prepared to do.
4. At the meeting of the Cabinet on 31 May the Prime Minister said that the greatest possible pressure should be made on the Taiwan Government to persuade them to accept the refugees from the Roachbank. If this proved unsuccessful the Cabinet had authorised the Prime Minister to decide in consultation with the Home Secretary and the Foreign Secretary whether these refugees should be accepted in the UK. It is difficult to argue in the absence of any final reply from the Taiwanese that the Cabinet requirement has yet been
met.
THE NORSE VIKING
5.
There are some 40 refugees on another British ship the Norse This has been off a port in southern China. The Chinese
Viking.
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