?
}
CONFIDENTIAL
-2-
D
but our Chargé d'Affaires' assessment is that although the Japanese will not give any undertaking to allow the refugees to disembark until the very last moment, they will ultimately do so.
4.
The Rudd Bank's owners, Bank Line (also owners of the Sibonga and Roach Bank) have remained in very close contact with us throughout, and have made no attempt so far to raise the question above the working level. It is, however, possible that their Chairman, Lord Inverforth, may write again to the Prime Mini IBPC ar to another Mini«ter as he did in the base of the Sibonga and Roach Bank, and it is probable that he will do so if, contrary to the Chargé d'Affaires' assessment, the Japanese
•
do cause substantial difficulties over disembarking the refugees.
The owners have so
far suffered only marginal financial loss in
this case: UNHCR has agreed to meet the care and maintenance
costs of the refugees from the date of their rescue (4 August)
and the handling of the boat in Shanghai and Qingdao (Tsingtao) does not appear to have been impeded. On leaving Chinese waters
the Rudd Bank is to be delivered to Japanese time charterers,
Mitsui OSK Lines, in Yokohama. But this charter will only commence
when the vessel is clear of refugees. The company will therefore
start to incur substantial financial penalties if there is any
delay in off-loading the refugees. In that case, the Government
will come under extremely heavy pressure from the owners and the
shipping industry to act quickly to minimize the loss either by
giving a guarantee to the Japanese if that is what is needed to
secure Japanese agreement, or possibly even to agree to accept
the refugees directly to the UK for processing and possible
resettlement elsewhere, as in the case of the Sibonga and Roach Bank.
The case has not previously been formally brought to the attention of Ministers, although relevant private offices, including
No 10 Downing Street, have received copies of the major telegrams.
5..
Under the Cabinet decision of 12 July, any refugees from
the Rudd Bank settling in the United Kingdom would fall within the
10,000 overall quota at Hong Kong's expense. This raises
certain
CONFIDENTIAL
/presentational