TNAG-0586-FCO40-719-Aid-from-UK-for-Vietnamese-refugees-in-Hong-Kong-1976 — Page 139

23

GR 150A

PRIORITY

CYPHER CAT A

FM FCO 09175OZ

CONFIDENTIAL

CONFIDENTIAL

TO PRIORITY HONG KONG TELNO 538 OF 9 JULY

201

INFO PRIORITY RANGOON TOKYO ROUTINE PEKING HANOI

HONG KONG TELNO 694 AND RANGOON TELNO 104: THE 'AVA' CASE

1. IN VIEW OF THE PROBABILITY THAT BURMESE ARE UNLIKELY TO AGREE TO ADMIT REFUGEES FLOWN BY ICEM FROM HONG KONG, WE SEE NO ALTERNATIVE

TO SITTING TIGHT, STICKING TO YOUR LINE THAT HONG KONG CANNOT ASSUME

RESPONSIBILITY FOR THESE REFUGEES AND THAT THIS THEREFORE LIES WITH

THE MASTER OF 'AVA'.

2. IF YOU HAVE NOT ALREADY DONE SO, PLEASE FLOAT THE ICEM AIRLIFT IDEA WITH THE BURMESE CONSUL GENERAL, MAKING IT CLEAR THAT THIS WOULD BE SOMETHING FOR HIM TO TAKE UP WITH HIS OWN GOVERNMENT. FROM

RANGOON TELNO 104 IT SEEMS HIGHLY IMPROBABLE THAT THIS WILL LEAD

ANYWHERE: BUT IT MAY BE HELPFUL LATER IF WE CAN SAY THAT THE HONG

KONG GOVERNMENT HAVE BEEN PREPARED TO CO-OPERATE WITH ICEM AND THE

BURMESE IN SEEKING TO RESOLVE THIS PROBLEM.

CROSLAND

FILES

HKD

SEAD. SA-D MLCORTAZ21

HRMALE

CONFIDENTIAL