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In so
allowing these Vietnamese refugees into Burma. far as Burma is prepared to emerge from her self- imposed seclusion, her chief concern is to avoid any action that might prompt criticism or, worse still, untoward reactions from Peking and Hanoi. I shall be very interested to see the outcome to Hugh Cortazzi's talk with U Tha Kyaw (your telegram No.67). It is per- tinent to observe in this context that the BBC on 14 July reported that "the United Nations has appealed for international help for some 600 refugees who have arrived off the coast of Thailand in small boats, after fleeing from Vietnam. Thailand has refused to allow them ashore
etc". Admittedly Burma is geograph- ically protected from any similar risk. I fancy, how- ever, that Ne Win will have reasons enough of his own for not wishing to set any precedent which might become embarrassing to Burma now that so many Vietnamese are seeking refuge from the repressive conditions in their own country. If we ourselves press too hard, I would have thought that there was a very real risk of the Burmese and Vietnamese arranging for the AVA to return the refugees to Vietnam (your telegram No.552 to Hong Kong).
5.
I am afraid this case will discourage any Burmese ship's Master in future from observing too meticulously his obligations under the convention on safety of life at sea.
Yours was THEMIE
T J O'Brien
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