CONFIDENTIAL
GRS 800
CONFIDENTIAL
FM FCO 272027Z JUL 79
TO PRIORITY UKMIS GENEVA
TELEGRAM NO 173 OF 27 JUL
INFO HONG KONG WASHINGTON.
PA
Hkk 243
ALAVES
1474
DESK OFFIC.
MNDEX
PA
(1472)
YOUR TEL.0 367 AND HONG KONG TELNOS 1056 AND 1060:
INDO-CHINA REFUGEES: RESCUE AT SEA
1. CLARENCE AND MCNAMARA (UNHCR LONDON) CALLED ON MORRIS, PRYOR AND GRAHAM OF DOT AFTER THEIR VISIT TO IMCO ON 25 JULY. CLARENCE SAID THAT IMCO WERE WARY OF PLAYING ANY ACTIVE ROLE IN RESCUE OPERATIONS IN WHICH THERE WAS NAVAL INVOLVEMENT.
see (1491
492
iSOHA
1543
2. MORRIS SAID THAT DOT'S MAIN INTEREST WAS TO SECURE THE REAFFIRMATION BY ALL FLAG STATES OF THE DUTY TO RENDER ASSISTANCE. HE EXPLAINED THE PRACTICAL DIFFICULTIES FACED BY SHIPS' MASTERS IN LOOKING AFTER LARGE NUMBERS OF REFUGEES, AND THE PROBLEM OF COSTS ARISING FROM DELAYS IN DISEMBARKING THEM, HE SPOKE ALONG THE LINES OF THE UK CONSULTATIVE PAPER PREPARED FOR GENEVA, 3. CLARENCE SAID THAT REPRESENTATIVES AT THE PROPOSED MEETING OF EXPERTS SHOULD COME FROM GOVERNMENTS WHO HAD AN INTEREST IN ACTIVE SEARCH AND RESCUE WORK OR WHO HAD KNOWLEDGE OF MERCHANT SHIPPING PRACTICE IN RENDERING ASSISTANCE, MORRIS SAID THAT HMG AND UK SHIPOWNERS WOULD BE VERY WILLING TO PARTICIPATE UNDER THE LATTER HEADING. THE COMPOSITION OF OUR DELEGATION WOULD BE DECIDED ONCE A CLEARER PICTURE HAD EMERGED OF THE STRUCTURE OF THE MEETING, 4. THE FOLLOWING DAY, CLARENCE MET MEMBERS OF SEAD AND DEFENCE DEPARTMENT. HE EXPLAINED THAT HIS VISIT DERIVED FROM THE SUMMING- UP OF HARTLING AND WALDHEIM IN GENEVA (PARAGRAPHS 11 AND 13(4) OF YOUR TELNO 358) AND THAT AT THIS STAGE HE WAS ONLY CONSULTING THE USA AND UK. HE ENVISAGED THAT THE PROPOSED MEETING WOULD. CONCENTRATE ON THE CO-ORDINATION OF ACTIVE RESCUE OPERATIONS. HE' ASKED WHAT THE UK INTENDED IN THIS DIRECTION, PARTICULARLY WHETHER WE WOULD SEND VESSELS OF THE ROYAL NAVY TO HELP.
5. CLARENCE WAS TOLD THAT WE HOPED THE PROBLEM WOULD DIMINISH IN VIEW OF THE VIETNAMESE MORATORIUM BUT THAT ALTHOUGH WE WOULD BE READY TO ATTEND THE MEETING, WE COULD HOLD OUT NO, REPEAT NO, HOPE OF RN PARTICIPATION IN ACTIVE SEARCH AND RESCUE, FOR 2 REASONS:- (A) WE HAD SERIOUS DOUBTS ABOUT THE WISDOM OF SENDING SPECIAL
CONFIDENTIAL
|: 1:སྒྲ ལྷག བཤས
/RESUE VESSELS