CONFIDENTIAL
3. WE HAVE SPOKEN WITH THE AMERICAN EMBASSY WHO CONFIRM THAT
US POLICY IS AS OUTLINED BY CASELLA (AND INCONSISTENT WITH THE
PROPOSALS FOR TEMPORARY SETTLEMENT OUTLINED IN YOUR TELNO.427 CASELLA ADVISES THAT THE RUDD BANK SHOULD CONTINUE TO YOKOHAMA (WHICH HE HAD BEEN TOLD WAS. ITS NEXT PORT OF CALL) WHERE THE REFUGEES MIGHT BE LANDED ON A TEMPORARY BASIS FOR PROCESSING BY UNHCR, THE AMERICAN EMBASSY HAVE CONFIRMED THAT IN THIS CASE,
THE US AUTHORITIES WOULD HAVE NO DIFFICULTY IN TREATING THOSE SO LANDED AS REFUGEES, SINCE JAPAN MAY BE CONSIDERED A COUNTRY OF FIRST ASYLUM.
449
DAVIES (MASTER OF THE RUDD BANK) HAS RECEIVED MESSAGE REFERR-
ED TO IN YOUR SECOND TUR, BUT HAS TAKEN NO FURTHER ACTION WITH THE
CHINESE AUTHORITIES IN SHANGHAL. AFTER FURTHER DISCUSSION WITH
THE REFUGEES HE THINKS IT WOULD BE IMPOSSIBLE TO PERSUADE THEM TO
LAND WITHOUT FIRM GUARANTEES OF RESETTLEMENT OUTSIDE CHINA FROM THE EMBASSY OR UNHCR. HE SAID THERE WERE NO PROBLEMS ABOUT
KEEPING THE REFUGEES ON BOARD. THE CHINESE RED CROSS WERE PRO-
VIDING ALL NECESSARY ASSISTANCE.
་་
5. ÎN VIEW OF THE ABOVE, PARTICULARLY THEPDS RESETTLEMENT ASPECT, WE FEEL IT WOULD BE POINTLESS PURSUING THIS ISSUE HERE UNLESS
YOU CAN OFFER A GUARANTEEE TO TAKE THOSE NOT SETTLED ELSEWHERE
WITHIN A CERTAIN PERIOD. (THIS WOULD PROBABLY MEAN TAKING.
NEARLY ALL THE REFUGEES IN THE FINAL ANALYSIS IF NONE WERE ABLE
TO GO TO THE USA.) THE ALTERNATIVE SOLUTION (SHORT OF A CHANGE
IN US POLICY, WHICH SEEMS UNLIKELY IN VIEW OF THE NUMBERS POTENT- IALLY INVOLVED) SEEMS TO BE TO GET THE REFUGEES LANDED IN
JAPAN AS RECOMMENDED BY CASELLA.
6.
CASELLA LEAVES PEKING FOR GUANGDONG AND GUANGXI ON THE MORN-
HE HAS
ING OF 18 AUGUST. ( HE IS NOT GOING TO SHANGHAI.)
f
BEEN DISCUSSING WITH THE CHINESE PROSPECTIVE UNHCR COOPERATION IN THE RESETTLEMENT WITHIN CHINA OF SOME OF THOSE REFUGEES
ALREADY. IN THE COUNTRY.
GEORGE
FILES
SEAD
PUSD
HK & GD
OID
UND
IPD
FED
DESD
MVD
N AM D
PS
SAD MAED
EID
WE ARE REPORTING SEPARATELY BY TELELETTER.
ADDITIONAL DISTRIBUTION
PS/MR BLAKER FS/PUS
BOAT PEOPLE
SIR A DUFF
MR CORTAZZI
NEWS D
PS/IPS
PS/MR HURD
MR NURRAY
MR STRATTON
LORD NG LENNOX
MR FERGUSSON
MR FRETWELL
2
CONFIDENΤΙΑΣ,