TNAG-0587-FCO40-720-Aid-from-UK-for-Vietnamese-refugees-in-Hong-Kong-1976 — Page 58

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TO IMMEDIATE TOKYO TELEGRAM NUMBER 550 OF 22 0OCTOBER

AND TO IMMEDIATE UKMIS GENEVA

INFO WASHINGTON OTTAWA

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TOKYO TELNO 937 AND WASHINGTON TELNO 3514:

VIETNAMESE REFUGEES: MS MATHER

1776

1. CORTAZZI RAISED THIS MATTER WITH JAPANESE AMBASSADOR AT LUNCHEON ON 21 OCTOBER, CORTAZZI STRESSED THAT THE SHIP WAS CANADIAN-OWNED AND BERMUDA-REGISTERED. WE TRUSTED THAT THE JAPANESE GOVERNMENT WOULD BE FLEXIBLE AND COOPERATIVE OVER THE PROBLEMS WHICH FACED US. AT AMBASSADOR'S SUGGESTION ACTING HEAD OF SEAD SUMMONED JAPANESE COUNSELLOR (ONDA) TODAY.

2. AFTER EXPLAINING BACKGROUND, GOLDSMITH SAID THAT WE REALISED THAT THE JAPANESE 39-DAY PERIOD EXPIRED ON 24 OCTOBER AND WE WERE NATURALLY PREPARED TO HONOUR OUR UNDERTAKING TO ACCEPT THE VIETNAM- ESE REFUGEES AT ANY TIME AFTER THAT DATE. BUT WE WOULD BE GRATEFUL IF, FOR GENERAL HUMANITARIAN REASONS, THE JAPANESE GOVERNMENT WOULD AGREE TO ALLOWING A LIMITED EXTENSION TO THIS PERIOD.

3. WE HAD BEEN HOPING THAT THE AMERICANS WOULD AGREE TO TAKE. THESE REFUGEES. BUT WE HAD HEARD ON 29 OCTOBER THAT IT WAS DOUBTFUL WHETHER THEY WOULD DO SO. WE UNDERSTOOD THAT THE REFUGEES THEMSELVES HAD AT ONE TIME OR ANOTHER ASKED TO GO TO CANADA NICARAGUEA OR AUSTRALIA AS ALTERNATIVES TO THE USA. AS THE JAPANESE GOVERNMENT WERE AWARE, THE UNHCR HAD GIVEN US ASSURANCES THAT, WHILE THE REFUGEES WERE IN JAPAN, THEY WOULD MAKE EVERY EFFORT TO ARRANGE FOR THEIR RESETTLEMENT. IT SEEMED TO US GREATLY PREFERABLE THAT THEY SHOULD GO DIRECT TO A COUNTRY OF THEIR REQUEST, RATHER THAN BEING BROUGHT TO THE UK (WHICH THEY HAD NOT REQUESTED, SO FAR AS WE KNEW) WITH THE POSSIBILITY OF THEIR SUBSEQUENTLY BEING RESETTLED

ELSEWHERE.

/4. GOLDSMITH

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