CONFIDENTIAL
Were
deprived of their liberty shall be treated with humanity and
with respect for the inherent dignity of the human person'.
either the RN or the HKG to be involved in the expulsion of refugees
it would be difficult to refute allegations that we were depriving
the refugees of their liberty and that, by returning them to sea,
albeit re-provisioned and in a vessel certified as seaworthy, we
were treating them in an inhumane manner and without respect.
would be 9. In practical terms, although it technically feasible for
a RN patrol craft to tow such vessels to international waters,
once the tow is released there is nothing to prevent the refugees
scuttling their craft and so obliging the RN to conduct a rescue
op Nation. Furthermore it is British custom and practice to
sune responsibility to hand over refugees picked up at sea into
Hich the custody of either a literal state or the UN/Commissioner for Relugees
The holding of refugees on a
For early resettlement.
British vessel (as proposed by the EKG (paragraph 6 above)) would
therefore impose an obligation upon HMG to retain the refugees
until arrangements were made for their resettlement.
10. Finally, Minister(AF) will recall the correspondence generated
2 years ago when the Sultan of Brunei expected to be able to call
on British loan service personnel to expel Vietnamese refugees from
Brunei waters. At that time, Mr Blaker as the Foreign Office
Minister with responsibility for that region, wrote to the Sultan
that there would be no question of British Servicemen being used
to push refugees out to sea. The humanitarian assistance provided
by British troops was to be on the basis that such assistance would
be directed to getting the refugees ashore.
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