G? 235
RESTRICTED
RESTRICTED
ğli
HKK 243
RECOME
1182
FM SEOUL 2202302 JUN 79
TO ROUTINE FCO
TELEGRAM NUMBER 116 OF 22 JUNE
FA
INFO HONG KONG (GOVERNOR) SINGAPORE 'ANDD UKMIS GENEVA
VIETNAMESE REFUGEES
1. YOU AND COPY ADDRESSEES MAY LIKE TO KNOW THAT THE LOCAL
OFFICE OF THE SWIRE GROUP, AGENTS HERE FOR OVERSEAS CONTAINER LINES OF LONDON, ARE SEEKING OUR HELP IN ASCERTAINING THE LIKELY
ATTITUDE OF THE ROK GOVERNMENT IF INDOCHINESE FEFUGEES WERE
•
TO BE BROUGHT HERE ON AN OCL SHIP. THEY HAVE SENT US A COPY OF
A TELEX FROM THEIR PRINCIPALS IN WHICH THE LATTER ASK FOR
COMMENTS ON:
A, THE ATTITUDE OF THE LOCAL GOVERNMENT TOWARDS ACCEPTING REF-
UGEES FROM BRITISH FLAG SHIPS IF HMG HAS NOT ACCEPTED RES-
PONSIBILITY FOR THEM PRIOR TO ARRIVAL HERE.
B. THE TIME SCALE IN WHICH A DECISION ON (A) COULD BE EXPECTED.
C. WOULD REFUGEES BE ALLOWED ONSHORE TO A REFUGEE CAMP?
FAILING THIS, WOULD THE SHIP BE ALLOWED ALONGSIDE AND PERM-
ITTED TO WORK WITH OR WITHOUT GUARDS? OR WOULD THE SHIP
HAVE TO LIE AT ANCHOR WITH OR WITHOUT GUARDS?
D. IF HMG DID ACCEPT RESPONSIBILITY FOR THE REFUGEES PRIOR TO
ARRIVAL, WOULD THEY BE ALLOWED ASHORE WITH MINIMUM DELAY FOR TEMPORARY ACCOMMODATION PRIOR TO TRAVELLING TO UK?
RESTRICTE
12.