TNAG-0653-FCO40-802-Previously-closed-extract-Folio-87.-Now-released-and-reunite-1977 — Page 10

IMMEDIATE

CYPHER CAT A

GPS210

FM F C O 221610Z

CONFIDENTIAL

LAST REF.

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My Enter had pa

ریک

CONFIDENTIAL

TO IMMEDIATE BRUNEI TEL NO 148 OF 22 JULY

NEXT

REQ

100

INFO KUALA LUMPUR MANILA JAKARTA UKMIS GENEVA.

YOUR TEL NO 164: VIETNAMESE REFUGEES.

1. WE AGREE THAT WE MUST ACCEPT THIS AS AN INTERNAL BRUNEI AFFAIR. IT IS NEVERTHELESS CLEAR THAT, GIVEN THE LIKELY DESTINATIONSOF THE GROUP, THERE MAY WELL BE INTERNATIONAL IMPLICATIONS LATER. WE ARE GRATEFUL TO YOU AND TO THE COMMANDER REMR FOR YOUR EFFORTS TO DELAY

EXPULSION OF THE REFUGEES.

2. IF THEIR CRAFT WERE ABSOLUTELY (NOT JUST REASONABLY) SAFE FOR THE ONWARD JOURNEY WE WOULD HAVE LITTLE REAL GROUND FOR COMPLAINT. BUT ON HUMANITARIAN GROUNDS, WE HOPE THE BRUNEI AUTHORITIES WILL NOT, AT THE VERY LEAST, OBLIGE THE VESSEL TO DEPART UNTIL IT IS

ABSOLUTELY SEAWORTHY. IF IT IS CLEAR TO YOU THAT THE VESSEL IS NOT FIT FOR ITS ONWARD JOURNEY YOU SHOULD ASK THE BRUNEIS, FOR THE SAKE OF COMMON HUMANITY, TO ALLOW A DELAY IN DEPARTURE UNTIL IT CAN BE REPAIRED.

3. IN CIRCUMSTANCES SUCH AS THESE, WE WOULD NORMALLY LEAVE INTERVENTIONS WITH GOVERNMENTS TO UNHCR BUT AS THIS IS NOT POSSIBLE IN BRUNEI AND, YOU ARE THE ONLY PERSON OF OFFICIAL STANDING WHO CAN RAISE A VOICE ON BEHALF OF THE REFUGEES, WE SHOULD LIKE YOU TO DO SC, IF YOU JUDGE THIS TO BE NECESSARY.

4. IT SEEMS TO US THAT THIS LATEST GROUP ARE WORSE OFF THAN THE

ALTANIN CROUP WHICH AT LEAST HAD THE CHANCE OF REMAINING SAFELY ON

BOARD THE OIL TANKER IF PERMISSION HAD BEEN REFUSED FOR THEM TO

LAND.

OWEN

FILES

UND

PSjMR LUARD.

MR WEIR

SEAD

MR CORTA27,

нке G-D

MR HAWLEY

MVD.

LEGAL ADVISER_S

PS/LORD GORONWY ROBERTS.

CONFIDENTIAL

COPIES TO

MR COLIN BIRT HOME OFFICE

CROYDON.