TNAG-0586-FCO40-719-Aid-from-UK-for-Vietnamese-refugees-in-Hong-Kong-1976 — Page 5

(94)

GR 260

IMMEDIATE

CYPHER/CAT A AND BY BAG

FM F C O 271425Z

CONFIDENTIAL

CONFIDENTIAL

ROO

28 JUL1976

31

17/11/240/548/1/

TO IMMEDIATE WASHINGTON TEL NO 1617 OF 27 JULY

96 99)

98

INFO IMMEDIATE HONG KONG UKMIS GENEVA KUALA LUMPUR ROUTINE RANGOON TOKYO PEKING INFO SAVING HANOI.

94) 1.

84

HONG KONG TEL NO 743

VIETNAMESE REFUGEES.

YOU WILL HAVE SEEN FROM MY TEL NO 581 TO HONG KONG THAT, IN REACHING THE CONCLUSION THAT HONG KONG SHOULD BE ASKED TO ALLOW THE REFUGEES ON THE ''AVIA' TO LAND TEMPORARILY, MINISTERS WERE MUCH INFLUENCED BY CUSHING'S STATEMENT THAT HE HAD EVERY EXPECTATION'' THAT ALL THE REFUGEES WOULD BE ALLOWED INTO THE UNITED STATES (YOUR TEL NO 2549). NOW THAT THE REFUGEES ARE TO BE LANDED, WE HOPE THAT THE AMERICANS WILL STAND BY THIS STATEMENT, AND WILL BE PREPARED,

PLEASE SPEAK TO TAKE ALL THOSE WHO DO NOT CHOOSE TO GO ELSEWHERE. ACCORDINGLY TO THE STATE DEPARTMENT WHEN INFORMING THEM THAT THE REFUGEES ARE DUE TO BE LANDED IN TWO OR THREE DAYS TIME.

2. WE AGREE WITH HONG KONG (PARAGRAPH 8 OF THEIR TELEGRAM UNDER REFERENCE) THAT IT WOULD BE INAPPROPRIATE FOR THEM TO GRANT TWO- YEAR RE-ENTRY RIGHTS TO REFUGEES ALLOWED ENTRY INTO THE UNITED STATES ESPECIALLY AS THE REFUGEES ARE BEING LANDED TEMPORARILY, ONLY WITH A VIEW TO THEIR RE-SETTLEMENT OUTSIDE HONG KONG. SO FAR, THE UNITED STATES CONSUL GENERAL IN HONG KONG SEEMS TO HAVE BEEN ALONE IN SEEKING TO EXTRACT SUCH AN UNDERTAKING FROM THE HONG KONG AUTHORITIES SINCE THE POINT HAS NOT APPARENTLY BEEN RAISED WITH YOU, IT MIGHT BE A MISTAKE TO TAKE IT UP WITH THE STATE DEPARTMENT UNLESS THE

IN THAT AMERICANS REVERT TO IT WHEN THE REFUGEES HAVE BEEN LANDED. EVENT, PLEASE TELL THE STATE DEPARTMENT THAT WE FULLY SUPPORT HONG KONG'S VIEW THAT THEY SHOULD NOT BE EXPECTED TO GRANT RE-ENTRY RIGHTS

CRO SL AND

FILES HKD (3) UN DEPT

SEAD

FED

PS/LORD GORONWY-ROBERTS PS/MR LUARD MR LARMOUR

NAD

NEWS DEPT

CONFIDENTIAL

COPIES TO:

MR RUSHFORD LEGAL ADVISERS

K188

MR KIDD, HONG KONG GOVT

OFFICE, LONDON.

MR BRENNAN

MR MACDOWELL

HOME OFFICE LUNAR HOUSE CROYDON