WIR
GR 400
CONFIDENTIAL
CONFIDENTIAL
- MCK 243/1
RADNO IN ALD.
2 8 AUG 1979
165
YO.
RA
REGISTRY Action Take.....
FM FCO 231933Z AUG 79
TO IMMEDIATE TOKYO
TELEGRAM NUMBER 443 OF 23 AUGUST
INFO PRIORITY WASHINGTON, PEKING,
INFO ROUTINE HONG KONG, UKMIS GENEVA, UKMIS NEW YORK, OTTAWA, PARIS
MYTELNO 438: M V RUDD BANK.
1. KADOTA, MINISTER, JAPANESE EMBASSY, CALLED ON MURRAY THIS AFTERNOON TO TRANSMIT THE JAPANESE RESPONSE TO OUR REQUESTS OF 20 AUGUST (MY TELNO 429). HE SAID THAT THE JAPANESE GOVERNMENT FOUND IT DIFFICULT TO ACCEPT OUR REQUEST. THE PURPOSE OF TEMPORARY LANDING WAS TO ASSURE THE SAFETY OF THOSE RESCUED. IT WAS UNREASONABLE THAT THE REFUGEES HAD REFUSED TO LAND IN CHINA WHEN THEY HAD BEEN OFFERED ASYLUM. IN ADDITION, THE JAPANESE THOUGHT IT INCONCEIVABLE THAT THE CHINESE WOULD TREAT THE REFUGEES BADLY, ON THE DIFFICULTIES CAUSED BY US REGULATIONS. THE JAPANESE WERE UNAWARE OF THEESE, AND COUND NOT TAKE MUCH ACCOUNT OF THIS ARGUMENT.
2. MURRAY ACKNOWLEDGED THAT THE CASE WAS DIFFUCULT FOR ALL CONCERNED, INCLUDING THE CHINESE WHOSE OFFER OF ASYLUM HAD BEEN REFUSED. BUT IN VIEW OF THE DEGREE OF CONFIDENCE BETWEEN THE TWO GOVERNMENTS, HE TOOK IT THAT THE JAPANESE GOVERNMENT WOULD HAVE SAID THEY WOULD NOT ACCEPT THE REFUGEES IF THIS IS WHAT THEY HAD MEANT. IN OUR VIEW HOWEVER THE PROBLEM FACING JAPAN WAS THE SAME AS IF THE CHINESE HAD NOT CFFERED ASYLUM: THE BOAT WOULD ARRIVE IN JAPAN WITH REFUGEES ON BOARD. IT WAS UNFORTUNATEM THAT WHAT WE BELIEVED TO BE THE FIRST CASE TO FALL UNDER MR SONODA'S GENEROUS FORMULA WAS SUCH A DIFFICULT ONE. BUT THAT FORMULA HELD THE KEY TO THE DILEMMA, AND THERE WOULD BE MUCH DISAPPOINTMENT AMONG MARITIME NATIONS AND SHIPPING COMPANIES IF THAT UNDERTAKING, WHICH WAS NOT QUALIFIED IN ANY WAY BY MR SONODA IN GENEVA, WERE SEEN IN PRACTISE TO DE QUALIFIED,
3. MURRAY SAID THAT WE HAD USED ALL OPPORTUNITIES OPEN TO US, THROUGH THE OWNERS AND THE MASTER, AND THE CHINESE AUTHORITIES, TO CONVINCE THE REFUGEES TO LAND IN CHINA OF THEIR OWN WILL
CONFIDENTIAL
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