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CONFIDENTIAL
CONFIDENTIAL
FM SINGAPORE 390800Z AUG 79
TO IMMEDIATE FCO
TELEGRAM NUMBER 296 OF 28 AUGUST
HKK 243
PA
TEZGA
of Williy on
239
SAVING TO PRIORITY HONG KONG (FOR GOVERNOR) UKMIS GENEVA
YOUR TEL 202: VIETNAMESE REFUGEES: MV BRITISH RESOLUTION
1. WE MADE REPRESENTATIONS TO THE MFA ON THE LINES OF PARA 3'
OF YOUR TUR, STRESSING THAT WE WERE ACTING ON INSTRUCTIONS,
AND MAKING THE ADDITIONAL POINTS THAT WE HOPED THAT THE FACT THAT THE NUMBER OF REFUGEES IN CAMP HAD EXCEEDED SINGAPORE'S
LIMIT OF 1000 WOULD NOT PREVENT THE 36 ON MV **BRITISH RESOLUTION**
FROM BEING LANDED, AS WE UNDERSTOOD THAT THEY WERE IN VERY
FOOR CONDITION AND NEEDED URGENT MEDICAL ATTENTION.
2. THE MFA REPLIED THAT THEY WERE WATCHING THE NUMBERS IN THE
CAMP CLOSELY, BUT WERE PREPARED FOR THE TIME BEING TO ALLOW
NUMBERS TO RISE SLLIGHTL Y BEYOND 1003 PROVIDED THE UNHCR WERE
SATISFIED THAT THEIR STAFF COULX COPE, AND THE PRESENT RATE OF RESETTLMENT, WHICH HAD RISEN IN THE LAST TWO MONTHS, WAS
MAINTAINED, ANY ATTEMPT TO ABUSE THISMRELAXATION, FOR IMSTANCE BY LEAVING REFUGEES IN CAMP FOR MORE THAN 3 MONTHS, WOULD OBLIGE THEM TO REVIEWNOMEVR POLICY.
3. S FOR ACCEPTING REFUGEES WITHOUT A FIRM GUARANTEE OF
RESETTLMENT FROM ANOTHER COUNTRY, THIS WAS OUT OF THE QUESTION.
OFFERING FIRST ASYLUM TO REFUGEES WAS A HIGHLY SENSITIVE ISSUE
IN THE ASEAN COUNTRIES, ON WHICH SINGAPORE HAD MAINTAINED A CONSISTENT POLICY SINCE 1975. IF THEY MADE EXCEPTIONS FOR THE
BRITISH THEY WOULD HAVE TO DO SO FOR EVERYBODY, AND THE SITUATION WOULD GET OUT OF HAND. A GUARANTEE OF RAPID RESETTLEMENT WAS THE ONLY WAY TO ENSURE THE PRESENT THROUGHPUT OF REFUGEES, AND WAS IN THE REFUGEES' BEST INTERESTS.
4. WE REPLIED THAT THE BRITISH GOVERNMENT RESERVED ITS RIGHT
TO CONSIDER EACH CASE ON ITS MERITS, AND THAT WE SHOULD HAVE TO
SEEK FURTHER INSTRUCTIONS.
CONFIDENTIAL
15.