TNAG-0586-FCO40-719-Aid-from-UK-for-Vietnamese-refugees-in-Hong-Kong-1976 — Page 79

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GPS 150 IMMEDIATE

AND BY BAG..

CONFIDENTIAL

CYPHER/CAT A

FM FCO 191830Z

CONFIDENTIAL

60)

62.

TO IMMEDIATE WASHINGTON TELNO 1561 OF 19 JULY AND TO IMMEDIATE

61

HONG KONG, UK MISSION GENEVA, TOKYO, PRIORITY RANGOON, KUALA LUMPUR,

PEKING,

AND SAVING TO HANOI.

MY TELNO 68 TO RANGOON: VIETNAMESE REFUGEES

1.

IN VIEW OF THE NOT UNEXPECTED NEGATIVE BURMESE REACTION TO OUR APPROACH ABOUT REFUGEES ABOARD THE ''AVA'' WE NEED TO CONSIDER ALTERNATIVE SOLUTIONS TO THE PROBLEM.

2.

39

WE HAVE NOTED FROM UK MISSION GENEVA TELNO 212 THAT, ACCORDING TO THE UNHCR, WASHINGTON WILL BE CONSIDERING WHETHER TO ACCEPT UP TO 39 OF THE REFUGEES. THIS SEEMS TO BE THE MOST PROMISING POSSIBILITY AND WHILE WE HAVE NOTED ROSENTHAL'S VIEWS IN YOUR TELNO 2455, WE SHOULD BE GRATEFUL IF YOU WOULD SEEK CONFIRMATION FROM THE STATE DEPARTMENT THAT THEY ARE ACTIVELY CONSIDERING ACCEPTANCE OF SOME OF THE ''AVA'' REFUGEES AND ASK THEM TO LET US KNOW THEIR DECISION

AS SOON AS POSSIBLE.

CROSLAND

FILES

HKD (4)

MRLARMOUR.

COPIES TO MR KIDO

(47)

SEAD

HND

FED

NAD.

:

NEWS D.

PS) LORD GORONWY-ROBERTS. CONFIDENTIAL

PS/LORD

MIR CORTAZZI

HONGKONG GOVT. office