TNAG-0586-FCO40-719-Aid-from-UK-for-Vietnamese-refugees-in-Hong-Kong-1976 — Page 19

CONFIDENTIAL

26 JUL:976

GRS 300

IMMEDIATE

DESKBY (F C O) 2408ØØZ

FIRS

DESKBY IMMEDIATE INFO ADDRESSEES FIRST CONTACT

LAST

CYPHER CAT/A

83)

MAT

FM HONG KONG 240325Z

240

REF.

91

89

من

CONFIDENTIAL

DESKBY 2408ØØZ (F_C_0) FIRST CONTACT ALL IMMEDIATE ADDRESSEES,

TO IMMEDIATE F C O TELEGRAM NO 739 OF 24 JULY

INFO IMMEDIATE WASHINGTON, UKMIS GENEVA, TOKYO AND RANGOON PRIORITY KUALA LUMPUR AND PEKING

INFO SAVING HANOI.

MY TELEGRAM NO 735 PARAGRAPH 3: VIETNAMESE REFUGEES.

AUTHORIZATION HAS NOW BEEN RECEIVED FROM PARIS FOR ENTRY VISAS FOR THE 6 VIETNAMESE WHO WISH TO GO TO FRANCE. WE HAVE CONTACTED ICEM WHO ARE CABLING FOR AUTHORITY TO PAY FARES TO FRANCE. THE GROUP WILL BE LANDED BEFORE THE SHIP SAILS AND WE HOPE THAT THEY CAN LEAVE FOR PARIS BY THE MIDDLE OF NEXT WEEK.

2. WITH REFERENCE TO YOUR TELEGRAM NO 577: THERE IS NO DIFFICULTY ABOUT HOLDING UP DEPARTURE OF AVA''. IT IS UNLIKELY IN ANY CASE THAT THERE WILL BE ANY REQUEST TO LEAVE BEFORE TUESDAY 27 JULY.

3. WITH REFERENCE TO YOUR TELEGRAM NO 574, WE BELIEVE THE JOURNEY BY SEA TAKES ROUGHLY 5 DAYS. VESSEL HAS CARGO FOR KOBE AND YOKOHAMA. MASTER OF THE 'AVA'' IS UNLIKELY TO BE ABLE TO FORECAST WHAT HE WILL DO ON ARRIVAL IN YOKOHAMA, MUCH DEPENDS ON ATTITUDE OF JAPANESE, THE STATE OF THE WEATHER AND ANY INSTRUCTIONS WHICH HE RECEIVES FROM HIS OWNERS IN BURMA.

4. WITH REFERENCE TO RANGOON TELEGRAM NO 118 TO YOU, ANOTHER BURMESE VESSEL OF THE SAME COMPANY, MYOMAYWA'', ARRIVED IN HONG KONG ON 18 JULY. SHE WAS SCHEDULED TO LEAVE ON 19 JULY BUT RECEIVED ORDERS FROM RANGOON TO REMAIN IN PORT UNTIL FURTHER NOTICE. THIS MAY HAVE GIVEN RISE TO REPORT THAT REFUGEES MIGHT BE TRANSFERRED TO ANOTHER BURMESE VESSEL, WE HAVE NOTHING MORE

DEFINITE THAN THIS.

NFIDENTIAL

15.