TNAG-0586-FCO40-719-Aid-from-UK-for-Vietnamese-refugees-in-Hong-Kong-1976 — Page 80

GR 250

IMMEDIATE

CYPHER/CAT A AND BY BAG

FM F C O 19183ZZ

CONFIDENTIAL

60

CONFIDENTIAL

TO IMMEDIATE RANGOON TELEGRAM NUMBER 68 OF 19 JULY

AND TO HONG KONG, UKMIS GENEVA, WASHINGTON TOKYO PRIORITY PEKING KUALA LUMPUR

AND TO SAVING HANOI,

MY TEL NO 67 (NOT TO TOKYO)

VIETNAMESE REFUGEES

LAST

REF.

NEXT

REF.

80

1. THE BURMESE AMBASSADOR CALLED ON CORTAZZI THIS AFTERNOON TO CONVEY HIS GOVERNMENT'S REPLY TO THE APPROACH IN MY TELEGRAM UNDER REFERENCE. THE AMBASSADOR SAID THAT IN ACCORDANCE WITH INTERNATIONAL PRACTICE THE 'AVA'' HAD PICKED UP THE SHIPWRECKED VIETNAMESE (HE DECLINED TO REFER TO THEM AS REFUGEES) AND SOUGHT TO DISCHARGE THEM AT ITS NEXT PORT OF CALL. THE BURMESE GOVERNMENT COULD NOT UNDERTAKE TO COOPERATE IN FLYING THE PERSONS CONCERNED TO RANGOON AND TO ACCORD THEM TEMPORARY RESIDENCE STATUS THERE. THEIR UNDERSTANDING WAS THAT THE UNHCR, WITH WHOM THEIR CONSUL- GENERAL IN GENEVA HAD BEEN IN TOUCH, WAS ASSUMING FULL RESPONSIBILITY FOR THE PASSENGERS ON BOARD THE ''AVA''. MEANWHILE, SINCE THE SHIP WAS NOT DESIGNED TO TAKE PASSENGERS THE BURMESE GOVERNMENT HOPED THAT HONG KONG WOULD BE PREPARED TO ADMIT THEM IN THE FIRST INSTANCE.

2. CORTAZZI, SAID THAT WE WERE DISAPPOINTED BY THE BURMESE

GOVERNMENT'S RESPONSE. AS HE HAD EXPLAINED WHEN THE PURMESE

AMBASSADOR CALLED LAST WEEK, HONG KONG FACED SERIOUS IMMIGRATION

PROBLEMS AND HE SAW GREAT DIFFICULTY OVR THEIR ACCEEDING TO THE

BURMESE GOVERNMENT'S REQUEST THAT THE PERSONS ON BOARD THE ''AVA' SHOULD BE ALLOWED TO LAND. WE SHOULD NEED TO CONSIDER THE MATTER AGAIN AND DISCUSS IT FURTHER WITH THE BURMESE GOVERNMENT. THE

AMBASSADOR SAID THAT HE WOULD REPORT CORTAZZI'S REMARKS.

CROSLAND

FILES HKD (4)

SEAD

UND

FED

NAD

NEWS D

PS/LORD GORONWY-ROBERTS MR CORTAZZI

MR LARMOUR

CONFIDENTIAL

COPIES TO MR KIDD

HONG KONG GOVERNMENT OFFICE