GPS 826
PRIORITY
CYPHER CAT A
CONFIDENTIAL
SAVED IN
RASHTEY NO. 51
26 JULI76
FM RANGOON 2207202
NCG 243/348!
2:
CONFIDENTIAL
TO PRIORITY FCO TELNO 116 OF 22 JULY
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INFO HONG KONG WASHINGTON UKMIS GENEVA TOKYO HANOI
YOUR TELNO 68 ■ VIETNAMESE REFUGEES
(67)
GO
(83)
80
83)
до
1. THE GOVERNMENT CONTROLLED PRESS HERE HAVE PUBLISHED FRONT PAGE REPORTS ABOUT THE 'AVA" CASE OVER THE LAST TWO DAYS. THIS APPEARS TO HAVE BEEN TIMED TO BRING THE MATTER TO THE ATTENTION OF MR PHAN HEIN, THE SPECIAL REPRESENTATIVE OF THE VIETNAMESE GOVERNMENT WHO IS NOW
MAKING A 5-DAY VISIT TO BURMA,
2. I AM SURPRISED THAT YOU SHOULD REGARD THE NEGATIVE BURMESE REACTION TO CORTAZZI'S APPROACH TO THE BURMESE AMBASSADOR AS ''UNEXPECTED'' (YOUR TELNO 1561
TO WASHINGTON)..MY OWN VIEWS, SUPPORTED BY THOSE OF THE BURMESE FOREIGN MINISTRY ARE SET OUT IN MY TELS NOS
194 TO YOU AND NO @ TO HONG KONG.I DOUBT WHETHER
THIS APPROACH HAS GAINED US ANYTHING; THE STEPS WE HAD BEEN SUCCESFULLY TAKING AT THIS END TO EDUCATE THE BURMESE INTO
UNDERSTANDING THE GRAVITY OF HONG KONG'S PROBLEM (MY LETTER
TO SIMONS 243/1 OF 16 JULY) HAVE BEEN OVERLAID
BY THE SUSPICION THAT WE HAVE TAKEN ACTIVE STEPS TO BOX
THE BURMESE IN.
3* WE SEEM THEREFORE TO HAVE UNWITTINGLY SET THE STAGE
FOR A DEAL BETWEEN THE BURMESE AND THE VIETNAMESE FOR RETURNING THESE REFUGEES TO VIETNAM. I CANNOT JUDGE HOW POLITICALLY EMBARRASSING THIS MIGHT BE FOR YOU.
L} *
I THINK THAT TIME IS NOW VERY SHORT. 1 SUGGEST
THEREFORE THAT I DEMAND TO SEE PRESIDENT U NE WIN AS A MATTER OF URGENCY (AND HE IS SOMETIMES RESPONSIVE TO PEREMPTORY REQUESTS OF THIS SORT) AND PUT THE FOLLOWING TO HIM: (A) IT IS TOTALLY UNACCEPTABLE FOR HONG KONG TO ADMIT THE REFUGEES EVEN FOR PURPOSES OF SCREENING PRIOR TO EVENTUAL
SETTLEMENT ELSEWHERE. THE IMPLICATIONS OF SETTING
SUCH A PRECEDEHT NEED NO ARGUING.
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