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FCO TELNO 3514 OF 29 OCTOBER
INFO PRIORITY TOKYO ROUTINE UKM IS GENEVA, OTTAWA.
TOKYO TELNO 937: VIETNAMESE REFUGEES: MS MATHER.
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1. PARAGRAPH 3 OF TUR: ACTION TAKEN WITH CUSHING (OFFICE OF INDO-CHINA REFUGEE PROGRAMS, STATE DEPARTMENT) ON 20 OCTOBER. CUSHING SAID THAT IT WAS NOW INCREASINGLY DOUBTFUL THAT THE US WOULD BE ABLE TO TAKE THE MATHER REFUGEES. THERE WERE HARDLY ANY PLACES LEFT ON THE PAROL PROGRAMME. HE COULD NOT THEREFORE INSTRUCT THE US EMBASSY AT TOKYO TO ASK THE JAPANESE FOR AN
EXTENSION.
2. APPARENTLY THERE ARE OVER 400 VIETNAMESE REFUGEES THROUGHOUT THE WORLD ON THE US WAITING LIST. ABOUT HALF OF THESE ARE AHEAD OF THE MATHER REFUGEES IN THE QUEUE. NEW PLACES IN THE PAROLE PROGRAMME FOR THESE 400 ONLY BECOME AVAILABLE WHEN REFUGEES WHO HAVE BEEN ACCEPTED DIE BEFORE TRAVELLING TO THE US OR ARE ACCEPTED FOR RESETTLEMENT ELSEWHERE (USUALLY FRANCE)
3. ON THE IMMEDIATE QUESTION OF AN EXTENSION IN JAPAN, CUSHING SAID THAT THE JAPANESE WOULD PROBABLY RESPOND FAVOURABLY TO A REQUEST FROM OURSELVES. IN THE CASE OF THE REFUGEES FOR WHOM NORWAY HAD ACCEPTED ULTIMATE RESPONSIBILITY, THE US HAD MADE NO REPRESENTATIONS TO JAPAN. HE WAS NOT SURE WHETHER THE NORWEGIANS HAD DONE SO, OR WHETHER THE JAPANESE HAD LET THE MATTER SLIDE.
4. CUSHING WAS AT PAINS TO STRESS THAT THE REAL SOLUTION TO THE WHOLE VIETNAMESE REFUGEE PROBLEM WAS TO INTERNATIONALISE IN UNDER THE AUSPICES OF THE UNHCR, AND THAT ALL OUR EFFORTS SHOULD BE DIRECTED TO THIS END.
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