TNAG-0556-FCO40-651-Resettlement-of-Vietnamese-refugees-from-Hong-Kong-into-othe-1975 — Page 156

CONFIDENTIAL

Mr Male

HONG KONG:

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1.

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RECEIVED

REGISTRY No. "

-2 MAY 1975

SOUTH VIETNAMESE REFUGEE H/L 18/25

You will have seen the exchange of telegrams earlier today between Hong Kong and Bangkok about South Vietnamese refugees who had arrived in Hong Kong from Bangkok by Swissair.

2. I was on the point of submitting a telegram saying that, on the information then available, it was our view that the people concerned were properly the responsibility of the Thai authorities and Swissair. It seemed at the time that the South Vietnamese

concerned were not properly fugitives from war and there was some danger if Hong Kong took them in of eroding the distinction between fugitives from war and others, agreed to at Lord Goronwy-Roberts's meeting with the Governor on 9 April.

3.

However, Hong Kong telno. 421 which has just been received indicates that it would be difficult to maintain that the people concerned were not refugees in the true sense. Happily it now seems as if both Swissair and the United States are prepared to accept responsibility for them (and for the 9 who have arrived by Air America) and we can send a much shorter telegram concurring with the arrangements.

4.

concur.

I submit a telegram in reply. SEAD, FED and M&VD all

Aullath

PL O'Keeffe

Hong Kong & Indian Ocean Dept.

1 May 1975

сс

SEAD

M&VD

PS/Lord Goronwy-Roberts

CONFIDENTIAL

Laxper

ثابت ۶۸۰

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