TNAG-0559-FCO40-654-Resettlement-of-Vietnamese-refugees-from-Hong-Kong-into-othe-1975 — Page 275

11

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GR 350

IMMEDIATE CYPHER/CAT A

!

FM HONG KONG 28092OZ

CONFIDENTIAL

CONFIDENTIAL

*VED IN

RABISTRY No.51

2 8 AUG 1975

NICK 18/25

TOP COPY

TO IMMEDIATE HANOI TELNO 29 OF 28 AUGUST INFO PRIORITY F C O, PARIS, UKMIS GENEVA, UKMIS NEW YORK, ROUTINE PEKING, VIENTIANE (PLEASE PASS CONFIRMATION COPY SAVING TO HANOI).

LAST

MY TELNO 21 TO UKMIS GENEVA:

UNHCR FLIGHTS.

NEXI

REF.

262)

(277

*

1. ROYAL AIR LAO CARAVELLE FLEW TO SAIGON YESTERDAY WITH THREE TONS MEDICAL SUPPLIES AND RETURNED EMPTY. IT FLEW AGAIN TO SAIGON TODAY WITH FIVE TONS MEDICAL SUPPLIES AND IS RETURNING TONIGHT TO HONG KONG, BUT WE HAVE AGREED WITH CASELLA THAT IF IT IS AGAIN EMPTY, UNHCR WILL NOT RESUME FLIGHTS TO HONG KONG UNTIL VIETNAMESE ALLOW HONG KONG BELONGERS STRANDED IN SAIGON TO BE CARRIED. WE HAVE DAMPED DOWN LOCAL CRITICISM AND DISSUADED AN URBAN COUNCILLOR, WHO IS UNDER PRESSURE FROM ANXIOUS RELATIVES, NOT TO HOLD A PRESS CONFERENCE TODAY.

2. AT OUR REQUEST, CASELLA YESTERDAY URGED SAIGON AUTHORITIES TO LET HONG KONG BELONGERS TRAVEL ON THESE FLIGHTS. HIS ASSESSMENT IS THAT THEY WILL NOT DO SO THIS WEEK, BUT MIGHT AGREE IF FLIGHTS RESUMED NEXT WEEK. SINCE THERE WILL STILL BE SEVEN TONS OF UNHCR AID MATERIAL LEFT IN HONG KONG AFTER TOMORROWS FLIGHT TO SAIGON, AN INCENTIVE WILL REMAIN FOR THEM TO ALLOW SUCH FLIGHTS TO CONTINUE.

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BD

28/8

13. APPARENTLY

CONFIDENTIAL