TNAG-0557-FCO40-652-Resettlement-of-Vietnamese-refugees-from-Hong-Kong-into-othe-1975 — Page 133

199

GPS 120

IMMEDIATE

CYPHER/CAT A

FM FCO 161415Z MAY

CONFIDENTIAL

CONFIDENTIAL

RECEIVED

STRY No.52

LAST

REF.

97

NEXT

19 MAY 1975

1XK18/25

TO IMMEDIATE TOKYO TELNO 479 OF 16 MAY 1975 INFO IMMEDIATE HONG KONG (FOR GOVERNOR).

FOLLOWING PERSONAL FOR AMBASSADOR FROM MALE. YOUR TELNO. 585 HMS CHICHESTER,

1. IF GOVERNOR HONG KONG BELIEVES CHANCES ARE NEGLIGIBLE THAT CHICHESTER WILL BE NEEDED TO DEAL WITH VIETNAMESE REFUGEES DURING THIS PERIOD I WILL GLADLY SEE WHAT CAN BE DONE WITH THE MOD. WE CANNOT, HOWEVER, IGNORE PRESS REPORTS THAT NO FEWER THAN 64 BOAT-LOADS OF REFUGEES HAVE NOW LEFT THEIR ANCHORAGES AT SINGAPORE.

2. 1 ENTIRELY ACCEPT WHAT YOU SAY ABOUT THE ADVANTAGES

CF A NAVAL VISIT AT THIS TIME, BUT IF THE GOVERNOR CONSIDERS THE RISK OF A FURTHER INFLUX OF REFUGEES INTO HONG KONG CANNOT BE IGNORED I FEAR WE MUST ACQUIESCE IN THE DECISION TO CANCEL THE VSIT. IN THAT CASE I HOPE THE JAPANESE WILL UNDERSTAND OUR REASONS AND THAT IT MAY BE POSSIBLE TO REARRANGE THE VISIT

FOR SOME LATER DATE.

CALLAGHAN

FILES

FED

нклод DEFENCE) SEAD

NEWS D

MR MALE

CONFIDENTIAL

PA

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