CONFIDENTIAL
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5.
WATANABE MADE THE POINT THAT RUDD BANK WAS NOT REPEAT
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YET BOUND FOR JAPAN. HE WONDERED WHAT WOULD HAPPEN IF MITSUI OSK REFUSED TO PROCEED WITH THE CHARTER ON THE GROUNDS THAT THEY COULD NOT RECEIVE THE SHIP QUOTE CLEAR AND CLEAN UNQUOTE. I SAID THAT IT WOULS BE POSSIBLE FOR THE JAPANESE GOVERNMENT TO ENSURE THAT MITSU! OSK COULD PROCEED WITH THE CHARTER, BY ACCEDING TO OUR REQUEST THAT THEY AGREE TO DISEMBARK THE REFUGEES ON ARRIVAL AT À JAPANESE PORT. I SAID THAT OUR COMBINED EFFORTS MUST BE DIRECTED TOWARDS ENSURING THAT SHIPS WERE ABLE TO GO ABOUT THEIR BUSINESS. MARITIME COUNTRIES AND SHIPPING COMPANIES WOULD NOT UNDERSTAND IT IF WE PERMITTED THINGS TO BE OTHER WISE. I SAID I HAD NO KNOWLEDGE OF THE TERMS OF THE CHARTER OR OF ANY COMMERCIAL AGREEMENT ENTERED INTO BETWEEN THE OHGERS OF RUDD BANK AND MITSUI OSK OR ANY OTHER CHARTERER.
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WATANABE'S ORIGINAL REQUESTS INCLUDED CLARIFICATION OF THE ACTIONS OF THE BRITISH AND HONG KONG AUTHORITIES AT EARLIER STAGES IN THIS CASE. I SAID THAT IF HE INTENDED ANY IMPLICATION THAT THERE MIGHT HAVE BEEN A DERELICTION OF DUTY, THIS WAS UNACCEPTABLE. THE HONG KONG GOVERNMENT'S RECORD IN THE MATTER OF REFUGEES SPOKE FOR ITSELF., WATANABE ACCEPTED THIS, AND I THINK THERE IS NO NEED TO REVERT TO IT. WATANABE'S POINT WAS MAINLY CONCERNED WITH THE ATTITUDE OF THE REFUGEES AND THE TIMING OF THEIR DECISION TO REFUSE TO LAND IN CHINA,
7. IF IT IS POSSIBLE TO SEND US, OR FOR UNHCR TO PROVIDE DIRECTLY TO THE JAPANESE GOVERNMENT, A STATEMENT OF THE LATTER'S VIEW OF THE CASE, WITH SOME REFERENCE TO THEIR REPRESENTATIVE'S ACTIONS AND IMPRESSIONS, BOTH OF THE PARTY OF REFUGEES IN QUESTION AND OF THE RELEVANCE (OR OTHERWISE) OF OTHER GOVERNMENTS' POSSIBLE RESPONSIBILITIES IN THE CASE SEMICOLON AND PREFERABLY IF THERE IS ALSO DEFINITE NEWS OF RUDD BANK'S SAILING DATE AND EXPECTED DATE OF ARRIVAL AT..A JAPANESE PORT, IT SEEMS LIKELY TO ME THAT WE CAN MAKE PROGRESS. WATANABE SAID THAT ANY PUBLICITY ABOUT THE ATTITUDE OF THE JAPANESE AUTHORITIES IN THIS CASE WOULD BE UNHELPFUL « IT WAS ALSO IMPORTANT THAT WE SHOULD CONTINUE TO TRY TO PERSUADE THE REFUGEES TO LAND IN CHINA.
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CONFIDENTIAL
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