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expect Taiwan to stir up considerable trouble, particularly among MPs, if Vietnamese are accepted and Chinese are not.
6. In the circumstances, it seems right to insist that the Burmese assume responsibility for refugees picked up by a Burmese ship, in exactly the same way as, for example, the Norwegians have done for refugees picked up in their ships when Hong Kong had to close the doors last year after the "Clara Maersk" incident. The
Hong Kong Government have offered, through the Burmese Consulate General, to assist in an airlift to Rangoon in co-operation with the local representative of the International Committee for European Migration (a body which has helped in this matter in the past). We know from Rangoon telegrams nos 104 to the FCO and 8 to Hong Kong that the Burmese will be difficult to persuade; but we believe this is the right way to proceed.
7.
Hong Kong have suggested that we should ask the Burmese Ambassador to call to support the representations they have also
made to the Burmese Consul General in Hong Kong in favour of the
proposal to airlift the refugees to Rangoon. This is a good idea and, if the recommendation above is accepted, SEAD will make the
necessary arrangements.
8.
I attach a draft telegram accordingly. SEAD, FED and UND
concur.
Aullulle
PL O'Keeffe
Hong Kong Department
13 July 1976
CC:
PS/PUS
Mr Larmour o.r.
UND
SEAD
FED
1.
This is a difficult problem.
2.
On the one hand the humanitarian considerations are strong and
a refusal of the UNHCR's offer may well arouse parliamentary questions which it would not be easy to answer at least without exposing too
Moreover it seems only too likely that any approach
much surface.
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