TNAG-0587-FCO40-720-Aid-from-UK-for-Vietnamese-refugees-in-Hong-Kong-1976 — Page 125

GR 330

PRIORITY

CYPHER CAT/A

FK TOKYO 27478302

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289 EP.976

(DXK 243/540/1

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ри

133)

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TO PRIORITY FCO TELNO 871 OF 27 SEPTEMBER 1976...

AND TO PRIOITY UKMIS GENEVA...

REPEATED FOR INFO TO ROUTINE HONG KONG, SINGAPORE, OTTAWA, PARIS, KUALA LUMPUR, JAKARTA, AND WASHINGTON...

AND SAVING TO MANILA.

FCO TELNO 191: VIETNAMESE REFUGEES: MS MATHER,

1. ACTION WAS TAKEN ON 24 SEPTEMBER AND THE REFUGEES WERE LANDED

SAFELY ON 25 SEPTEMBER IN KOBE. THEY APE NOW BEING CARED FOR BY CARITAS. ONCE THE JAPANESE HAS PECEIVED OUR ASSURANCES AND HAD

SATISFIED THEMSELVES THROUGH THEIR MISSION IN GENEVA THAT UMCHR WOULD BE FINANCIALLY RESPONSIBLE, ALL THOSE DIRECTLY CONCERNED WORKED QUICKLY AND EFFECTIVELY TO GET THE REFUGEES ASHORE. THE

JAPANESE MFA HAVE REQUESTED FROM US A COPY IN WRITING OF THE UNHCR FINANCIAL ASSURANCES (PARA 1 OF TUR REFERS).

2. THE AMERICAN EMBASSY HAVE SAID THAT THEY WILL TELEGRAPH

WASHINGTON TODAY CONCERYING THE NEED TO PROCESS QUICKLY THE

APPLICATIONS BY THE 20 MEMBERS OF THE GROUP WHO HAVE ASKED TO GO TO THE UNITED STATES, CONTRARY TO CUSHING'S STATEMENT

(WASHINGTON TELMO 3152) THE AMERICAN EMBASSY SAY THAT AS FAR AS THEY ARE AWARE FULL DETAILS OF THE REFUGEES WERE OBTAINED

IN SINGAPORE AND THERE IS NO FURTHER ACTION REQUIRED LOCALLY IN

THIS RESPECT.

3. WE HAVE ALSO IMPRESSED UPON THE LOCAL UNPCR REPRESENTATIVE, PROFESSOR SAI TO, THE NEED TO DEAL WITH THE SEMAINING 13 MEMBERS OF THE GROUP QUICKLY, HE HAS INFORMED US THAT SINCE ARRIVING IN JAPAN ALL 33 HAVE INDICATED THEIR DESIRE TO GO TO (1) U.S. (2) NICARAGUA AND (3) AUSTRALIA. IN THAT ORDER OF PREFERENCE. IN SPITE OF ALL HIS GOOD WORK, HE IS A PART-TIME AMATEUR, HE STILL

/ SEEMS TO BELIEVE

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