11 October 1993
Ms Wyver
Hong Kong Department
Reference....
p.4.
186/1
186/1
2000 1993
270 2959
REVIVAL OF KAL007 COMPENSATION CLAIM
1. Please refer to your minute of 1 October to Ms Speller.
2. I doubt that we have grounds for submitting a Government to Government claim against the Koreans for compensation for the shooting-down of KAL007 as they do not appear to bear any responsibility for the incident. I therefore believe that it would be wholly inappropriate to attempt such an action and the only outcome would be to prejudice our relations needlessly.
3. If there is any claim extant then it would be against Korean Airlines, but I believe that they have fulfilled their obligations to passengers' dependents under the Warsaw Convention. You will, of course, wish to seek legal advice on this aspect.
し
GR GIBSON
Giuber
Far Eastern Department
cc Ms Speller, Eastern Dept.,
Mr Moran, Consular Dept., Mr Ambrose, AMD
Mr Walton,
Legal Advisers
fed05/LETTERS/KAL007.11.10
CODE
018-0077