GRS 300
CONFIDENTIAL
FM HONG KONG
TO HIMMEDIATE FCO
TELNO 2516
Confidential
OF 051002Z AUGUST 86
AND TO HIMMEDIATE CANBERRA, UKMNS GENEVA, HANOI, BANGKOK, KUALA LUMPUR
MIPT: WETNAMESE REFUGEES.
FOLLOWING HIS TEXT OF AUSTRAL HAN GOVERNMENT'S VIEWS ON MERCY SHIIPS:
OPEN QUOTES. OVERALL, AUSTRALIA REGARDS MERCY SHIP OPERATIONS AS A COMPLICATION AND UNHELPFUL DEVELOPMENT WHICH HINDERS THE INTER- NATHONAL COMMUNITY'S CAPACITY TO RESPOND TO THE PROBLEMS OF
CLANDESTINE OUTFLOWS FROM WHETNAM.
OUR POSITION IS AS FOLLOWS: AUSTRALINA IS PARTICULARLY CONCERNED THAT MERCY SHIP EXPEDITIONS IN THE SOUTH CHINA SEA ACT AS A PULL FACTOR ENCOURAGING CLANDESTINE DEPARTURES FROM VIETNAM. SUCH DEPARTURES ARE OFTEN UNDERTAKEN WITH MINIMAL PREPARATION 'N UNSEA-
WORTHY BOATS MIN CONDITIONS OF GRAVE RISK AND FREQUENTLY FATAL
RESULTS. OF SPECIAL CONCERN IN THAS REGARD IS THAT SABLING AND
OTHER DETAILS OF MERCY SHIP OPERATIONS HAVE BEEN THE SUBJECT OF
VHETNAMESE LANGUAGE SHORTWAVE BROADCASTS TO VIETNAM THEREBY GIVING
CLEAR ENCOURAGEMENT TO THOSE CONTEMPLATING HILLEGAL DEPARTURE.
AUSTRALINA WILL NOT PROVIDE ANY ASSISTANCE FOR MERCY SHIP ACTIVITIES,
EATHER DIRECT OR WINDHRECT. WE WILL NOT PROVIDE GUARANTEES OF
RESETTLEMENT FOR PEOPLE RESCUED BY MERCY SHIPS NOR WILL WE ACCEPT
SUCH PERSONS UNDER OUR REFUGEES OR SHP PROGRAMMES. PERSONS RESCUED
BY MERCY SHAPS WHO HAVE RELATIVES IN AUSTRALINA CAN BE CONSIDERED
FOR ENTRY ONLY UNDER FAMILY REUNION MIGRATION PROVISIONS. WE DO
NOT CONSIDER THAT MERCY SHIPS ARE A HELPFUL MEANS OF ADDRESSING
THE PROBLEMS SURROUNDING RESCUE OF VIETNAMESE #N DISTRESS AT SEA.
IN OUR VIEW, EFFORTS SHOULD BE CONCENTRATED ON SYSTEMATIC H«NUT-
"HATIVES TO IMPROVE RESCUE RATES AND ENCOURAGE SHIPS MASTERS TO
ADHERE TO THEIR RESPONSIBILITIES UNDER THE LAW OF THE SEA, SUCH
AS UNHCR INFORMATION DISSEMINATION ACTIVITIES AND SCHEMES SUCH AS
RASRO (RESCUE AT SEA RESETTLEMENT OFFERS). CLOSE QUOTATION MARKS.
AKERS-JONES
HMLNAN
0010
LIMITED
1
HKD
SEAD UND
SPD
MR WILSON
Confidential
[REPEATED AS REQUESTEDĮ