Mr Murray
Dili
13,5
MV RUDD BANK
CONFIDENTIAL
HKK 843/1
RECEIVED IN REGISTR 1 R
1 6 AUG 1979
DER OFFICER IDEX
A
15.400
Enter
and PA
1575
1. I understand that Mr Murray asked whether UNHCR had been involved in any way in the call of the Rudd Bank at Hong Kong to obtain medical treatment and provisions for the 124 Vietnamese refugees on board - for example, had UNHCR paid for the pro- visions, following their agreement to bear the cost of refugees from the moment they are picked up from the sea.
2. I rang Mr Orr in Hong Kong, who confirmed that the UNHCR had not been involved. The provisions had been arranged through the ship's agents (and indeed I have since learned that the Bank Line have even been paying the expenses of the two refugees who were taken ashore for medical treatment).
3. I also took the opportunity to draw Mr Orr's attention to the unfortunate impression that had been created by certain statements about the Rudd Bank attributed to Hong Kong Government spokesmen in the Reuters reports from Hong Kong. These statements had led people here to believe that the Hong Kong Government had been asked to allow the refugees to land, but had refused to do so in the absence of an undertaking from Britain to allow them to be brought direct to the UK, and consequently that the refugees had had to be left on board the Rudd Bank because of British intransi- gence. Mr Orr admitted that some confusing statements had been made by "low level" spokesmen over this incident. He excused this by saying that they themselves had been confused about the intentions of the Rudd Bank. Their chief concern had been to make it clear from the start that Hong Kong was not going to be used as a dumping ground for refugees picked up at sea by vessels for whom Hong Kong was neither the next port of call nor the nearest port of refuge. He promised to draw the attention of those responsible to the misleading impression that the statements had created about the attitude of the British Government and to try to ensure that they were more careful next time.
W.E.Amankill
W E Quantrill
Hong Kong and General Department
9 August 1979
cc:
Mr Stitt, SEAD Mr Hayward, FED Mr Morgan, UND
Mr McCrory, News Dept.
CONFIDENTIAL