TW 330
IMMEDIATE
CYPHER/CAT A
CONFIDENTIAL
FM UKMIS GENEVA 271745Z
CONFIDENTIAL
RECEIVED IN REGISTRY, No. 60
28 AUG1975
NKK 18/20
TOP COPI
262)
NEXI
REF.
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TO IMMEDIATE FCO TEL NO 630 OF 27 AUGUST INFO IMMEDIATE HONG KONG HANOI ROUTINE PEKING VIENTIANE (PLEASE PASS CONFIRMATION COPY SAVING TO HANOI) SAVING PARIS UKMIS NEW YORK.
HONG KONG TELEGRAM NO 21 AND TELECON CALLWAY/DINWIDDY:
VIETNAMESE REFUGEES IN HONG KONG.
1. AS INSTRUCTED I SPOKE THIS AFTERNOON TO MACE, DEPUTY HCR, WHO HAD ALREADY SPOKEN TO ME IN SOME ANXIETY ON THE BASIS OF TELEPHONED REPORTS FROM JACKSON.
2. MACE SAID HCR FULLY UNDERSTOOD THE GOVERNOR'S SENSE OF DISAPPOINTMENT, WHICH UNHCR THEMSELVES FULLY SHARED. APPARENTLY THIS IS ONLY THE LATEST EXAMPLE OF A SERIES OF QUOTE ON/OFF UNQUOTE ARRANGEMENTS WHICH THEY THOUGHT HAD BEEN SEWN UP WITH THE SAIGON AUTHORITIES THROUGH HANOI AND HAD THEN COME UNSTUCK.
3. WE DISCUSSED WHAT MIGHT BE DONE. MACE SAID THAT UNHCR COULD NOT POSSIBLY AGREE TO CARRY REFUGEES FROM HONG KONG OR ANYWHERE ELSE IN THE ABSENCE OF SPECIFIC PRIOR CLEARANCE FROM THE SAIGON AUTHORITIES. THE LATTER HAD MADE IT CLEAR THAT THEY WOULD NOT ACCEPT UNCLEARED RETURNEES AND UNHCR FEARED THAT TO FLOUT THIS STIPULATION COULD JEOPARDISE WHAT PROSPECTS THERE ARE OF ORGANISING THE REPATRIATION OF REFUGEES FROM GUAM, SINGAPORE AND ELSEWHERE (NO CLEARANCES AT ALL HAVING SO FAR BEEN GIVEN). IT WOULD ALSO INVOLVE THE RISK OF AN UNPLEASANT AND PERHAPS DANGEROUS QUOTE INCIDENT UNQUOTE. AS FOR THE STRANDED HONG KONG BELONGERS, UNHCR WERE NOT IN THE BUSINESS OF EVACUATING PEOPLE STRANDED IN VIETNAM. THEY HAD ONLY MADE AVAILABLE ROOM ON PLANES AT THE REQUEST OF THE SAIGON AUTHORITIES FOR INDIVIDUALS SELECTED BY
THE LATTER.
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2018
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