CONFIDENTIAL
1693
GR 34
GA
CONFIDENTIAL
PM F C O 1717532 SEP 79
TO IMMEDIATE SEOUL
TELEGRAM HUMBER 149 OF 17 SEPTEMBER
INFO PRIORITY HONG KONG WASHINGTON
M V ALARIC: VIETNAMESE REFUGEES.
HKK 2431 RECEIVED TA RETANYNO 51 19SEND7
CESK OFFK
INDEX
UKMIS GENEVA,
1. REGAL SHIPPING HAVE INFORMED THE GENERAL COUNCIL OF BRITISH
SHIPPING AND THE F C O THAT THEIR VESSEL THE ALARIC RESCUED 32 VIETNAMESE BOAT REFUGEES (11 MALE, 8 FEMALE AND 13 CHILDREN) AT
073OZ ON 15 SEPTEMBER, THE ALARIC IS CARRYING A CARGO OF COAL
AND IS DUE AT INCHON ON 20 SEPTEMBER.
2. WE NEED TO MAKE A STRONG EFFORT TO GET THE REFUGEES LANDED
IN KOREA. PLEASE THEREFORE APPROACH THE M F A AT A SENIOR LEVEL
AND MAKE THE FOLLOWING POINTS :
(1) WE HOPE THAT KOREA VILL FULFIL THE OBLIGATION OF A STATE OF
FIRST SCHEDULED PORT OF CALL AFTER RESCUE, AND ALLOW THE 32 REF-
UGEES ON THE ALARIC TO DISEMBARK AT INCHON AND AWAIT FINAL RE-
SETTLEMENT,
6/1707
(11) WE NOTED THE KOREAN STATEMENT. AT GENEVA IN WHICH AMBASSADOR
LHO STRESSED THE PRIORITY OF HUMANITARIAN CONSIDERATIONS AND RE-
PORTED THAT SINCE 1975 KOREA HAD TAKEN AT LEAST TEMPORARILY NEARLY
1800 REFUGEES, SOME OF WHOM HAD BEEN RESCUED AT SEA BY SHIPS OF
FOREIGN FLAGS. WE HOPE THAT KOREA WILL FEEL ABLE TO TAKE THE
ALARIC REFUGEES ALSO.
t
(111) IN HIS CONCLUDING REMARKS AT GENEVA, THE UN SECRETARY CEN-
ERAL CALLED FOR A REASSERTION OF THE PRINCIPLE OF FIRST ASYLUM,
KOREA CAN HELP RESTORE THE PRIMACY OF THIS PRINCIPLE BY ALLOW-
ING THE REFUGEES TO LAND AT LEAST TEMPORARILY.
(IV) IF ASKED WHETHER H M G WILL ACCEPT ANY OF THE REFUGEES FOR
SETTLEMENT, YOU SHOULD SAY THAT WE WILL OF COURSE ACCEPT ANY WHO
HAVE A CLAIM ON THE UK BY VIRTUE OF FAMILY OR OTHER CLOSE TIES. (V) IF ASKED WHETHER WE SHOULD AGREE TO ACCEPT ANY REFUGEES FROM
THE ALARIC WHO HAVE NOT BEEN ACCEPTED FOR SETTLEMENT ELSEWHERE WITHIN A CERTAIN TIME, YOU SHOULD SAY THAT YOU CANNOT GIVE SUCK AN UNDERTAKING BUT ARE WILLING TO SEEK FURTHER INSTRUCTIONS.
CONFIDENTIAL
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