TNAG-0556-FCO40-651-Resettlement-of-Vietnamese-refugees-from-Hong-Kong-into-othe-1975 — Page 155

20

GR 180

PRIORITY

CYPHER/CAT A

FM FCO 011650Z

CONFIDENTIAL

CONFIDENTIAL

BENCIVED IN 2 MAY

REGISTRY No, 50

- 5 MAY 1975

NKK 18/25

NEX

REF.

LAST

(17)

TO PRIORITY HONG KONG TELEGRAM NO. 344 OF 1 MAY INFO PRIORITY

WASHINGTON BANGKOK AND PEKING.

YOUR TELEGRAMS NOS. 23 TO BANGKOK AND 421 TO FCO.

1. WE AGREE WITH THE ARRANGEMENTS YOU PROPOSE. IT MIGHT BE DIFFICULT TO REPRESENT PUBLICLY THAT THE SOUTH VIETNAMESE

CONCERNED ARE NOT FUGITIVES FROM WAR (CF.*PARA 19 OF THE RECORD OF YOUR MEETING WITH LORD GORONWY-ROBERTS ON 9 APRIL)

BUT IT IS OBVIOUSLY BETTER FOR THE UNITED STATES TO ACCEPT

RESPONSIBILITY FOR THEM, PREFERABLY WITH APPROPRIATE ASSISTANCE

FROM SWISSAIR.

2. YOU MAY CARE TO KNOW THAT CUR PRACTICE IS TO ADMIT (NOT NECESSARILY FOR PERMANENT SETTLEMENT) THOSE VIETNAMESE REFUGEES WHO HAVE CLOSE U.K. CONNECTIONS, QUOTE CLOSE CONNECTIONS

UNQUOTE BEING LIBERALLY DEFINED. IF ANY MEMBERS OF THE PRESENT GROUP FALL IN THIS CATEGORY, WE WOULD BE WILLING IF NECESSARY

TO CONSIDER APPLICATIONS FROM THEM TO COME HERE. DETAILS BY

TELEGRAM WOULD BE GIVEN QUICK AND SYMPATHETIC CONSIDERATION.

CALLAGHAN

FILES

HKIOD

COPIES TO:

MR A F WADE

HOME OFFICE

SEAD

FED

M & VD

iv AM D

NEWS D

GIPD

IRD

PS/LORD GORONWY-ROBERTS

MR MALE

MR LARMOUR

MR WILFORD

CONFIDENTIAL

LUNAR HOUSE