CONFIDENTIAL
2.
ready to enter dry dock on
In addition, if the tanker is not ready to
8 September at the latest, she will lose the dry dock booking
and face eight weeks further delay.
AS
there is still at least
five days preparatory work outstanding, the guarantee will have
to be given over the weekend.
5.
The timing of this case is complicated by the critical stage
which the RUDD BANK case has reached. The Department submitted
yesterday a draft letter to No 10 Downing Street indicating that
a decision might need to be taken on a further guarantee if the
Japanese continued to raise difficulties. If they were to learn
that a guarantee was being given by us to the Singaporean Authorities
while they were making a final policy decision on whether to allow
the RUDD BANK refugees to disembark without such a guarantee, it is
probable that the RUDD BANK case would be significantly complicated.
It would be preferable therefore if no announcement could be made
about a guarantee in the case of the BRITISH RESOLUTION until we
know that the RUDD BANK case has been resolved. The Resident Clerk
will need to keep an eye on this over the weekend.
TCS Stitt
30 August 1979
South East Asian Department
CONFIDENTIAL