TNAG-0586-FCO40-719-Aid-from-UK-for-Vietnamese-refugees-in-Hong-Kong-1976 — Page 141

IMMEDIATE

CYPHER CAT A

FM RANGOON 091330Z JUL

CONFIDENTIAL

DESKBY 091438Z

CONFIDENTIAL

(20)

JOP COPY

श

TO IMMEDIATE FCO TELNO 104 OF 9 JULY

INFO HONG KONG, TOKYO, PEKING, HANOI,

VIENTIANE

HONG KONG TELNO 694: THE AVA CASE

1.

C1

12 JUL1976

P111(243/548

FROM MY CONVERSATIONS WITH MFA OFFICIALS SINCE RECEIPT

9

OF HONG KONG TELNO 684, IT IS CLEAR THAT BURMESE

GOVERNMENT WANTS TO EXTRICATE ITSELF FROM THIS SITUATION WITHOUT BECOMING FURTHER INVOLVED. UNDERSTANDABLY THEY

SAY MASTER OF AVA ACTED ONLY ON HUMANITARIAN

GROUNDS TO SAVE SHIPWRECKED PERSONS FROM DEATH. WHY THERE

THEREFORE SHOULD THEY AS FLAG STATE VESSEL HAVE

THRUST UPON THEM RESPONSIBILTY FOR FUTURE OF THESE

RESCUED PEOPLE,

2. SUGGESTION MADE IN HONG KONG T U R WOULD MERELY

IMPLICATE BURMESE GOVERNMENT MORE DEEPLY IN THIS PROBLEM

AND I SEE NO PROSPECT WHATSOEVER OF THEM AGREEING

TO IT.

FCO PASS ALL INFORMATION ADDRESSEES

O'BRIEN

FILES

HKD

SEAD

SAD

MR CORTAZZ/ MR MALE

[REPEATED AS REQUESTED]

CONFIDENTIAL