TNAG-0586-FCO40-719-Aid-from-UK-for-Vietnamese-refugees-in-Hong-Kong-1976 — Page 33

CONFIDENTIAL

GR 650

IMMEDIATE

CYPHER/CAT A

RY NO. 51

26 JUL:976

FM HONG KONG 2389307 AKCK 2√3/10/1

CONFIDENTIAL

DESKBY FCO 231100Z

TO IMMEDIATE F C O TELNO 735 OF 23 JULY

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

INFO SAVING HANOI.

(64)

LACT

80

NOXI

REF.

MY TEL NO. 722 AND RANGOON TELNO. 116:

VIETNAMESE REFUGEES,

83)

THE 'AVA' ENTERED PORT ON 22 JULY, PRESENT INDICATIONS ARE THAT SHE WILL NOT BE READY TO SAIL UNTIL MONDAY, 26 JULY. HONG KONG RED CROSS AND SOCIAL WELFARE DEPARTMENT HAVE CHECKED LIVING CONDITIONS ABOARD SHIP AND HAVE REPORTED FAVOURABLY. THE BURMESE CONSULATE-GENERAL AND THE AGENTS FOR THE 'AVA' HAVE GIVEN IMMIGRATION DEPARTMENT WRITTEN ASSURANCE THAT THE VESSEL WILL SAIL AFTER UNLOADING CARGO FROM HONG KONG FOR YOKOHAMA WITH

ALL 99 VIETNAMESE ON BOARD.

2. DESPITE EARLIER ENCOURAGEMENT OF THE HOPE THAT THE U.S. MIGHT TAKE UP TO 39 REFUGEES, U.S. CONSUL-GENERAL HAS NOW REITERATED THAT THE PROBLEM OF INDOCHINESE REFUGEES ARRIVING BY SHIP MUST BE DEALT WITH ''ON AN INTERNATIONAL BASIS AND THAT HE WILL NOT TAKE ANY STEPS TOWARDS RESETTLEMENT OF ANYONE IN THE U.S. UNTIL:

i

(A) HONG KONG UNCONDITIONALLY LANDS THE REFUGEES AND UNDERTAKES TO GRANT THEM TWO-YEAR RE-ENTRY TO HONG KONG IF THE U.S. ACCEPTS

THEM UNDER P.7 PROGRAMME:

AND

B) THE UNHCR HAS MADE IT CLEAR E.G. BY AN APPEAL TO GOVERNMENTS THAT THE PROBLEM CANNOT BE LEFT SOLELY TO THE AMERICANS AND MUST BE

SEEN TO BE AN INTERNATIONAL RESPONSIBILITY.

CONFIDENTIAL

130