CYPHER CAI A
Fr BRUNEL 300309Z JUN CONFIDENTIAL
DESKBY FCO 300830Z JUN
BICND N
RARY NO. 51 4 JUL 1977
hack
NICK 245/302/
TO IMMEDIATE FCO TELNO 138 OF 30 JUNE
RFI IMMEDIATE KUALA LUMPUR AND PRIORITY HONG KONG SINGAPORE BANGKOK AND UKMIS GENEVA.
LAST
YOUR 'TELNO 124: VIETNAMESE REFUGEES. EES.
Nor
RE
NY:
REF.
วา
(2 pl
1. I HAVE SPOKEN AGAIN TO ISA, BUT I AM AFRAID THERE IS AN ABSOLUTE IMPASSE ABOUT THE UNHCR ROLE. (AS FOR THE UNDP, DESPITE OUR BEST ENDEAVOUR, THEY TOO ARE VIEWED HERE WITH RESERVE AND ONLY HAVE CONTACT BECAUSE OF A FLUKE.) SIR OMAR HAS A BLIND SPOT ON ANYTHING RELATING TO THE UN AND SIMPLY CANNOT BE MOVED.
2. I ALSO MADE IT QUITE CLEAR TO ISA THAT THIS WAS AN OPPORTUNITY FOR BRUNEI TO GAIN A GOOD MARK IN LONDON. ISA'S IMMEDIATE REACTION WAS THAT BRUNEI WANTED ABOVE ALL TO GAIN GOOD MARKS IN LONDON, BUT WHAT HAD THIS GOT TO DO WITH LETTING IN THE UNITED NATIONS AND THE VIETNAMESE. AT THIS I ALMOST GAVE UP, BUT REVERTED TO THE HUMANITARIAN ASPECT, AND THE INTERNATIONAL CUSTOM THAT THOSE RESCUED AT SEA WERE DISEMBARKED AT A SHIP'S NEXT PORT OF CALL.
3. ON THIS ISA SAID THAT THERE MIGHT JUST POSSIBLY (HE COULD PROMISE NOTHING) BE SOMETHING IN AN IMMEDIATE COMMUNICATION FROM MYSELF TO THE SULTAN STRESSING THE HUMANITARIAN SIDE AND THIS PARTICULAR POINT, AND OFFERING BRITISH HIGH COMMISSION, AS DISTINCT FROM UNHCR, INVESTIGATION OF THE CASE, AND PROMISING, ANYWAY, DISPOSAL OF THE REFUGEES WITHIN SAY A PERIOD OF TWO OR THREE MONTHS. HE COULD NOT HOWEVER BE SURE HOW EVEN THIS WOULD BE RECEIVED. APART FROM THE WIDER PRECEDENT, THE PROBLEMS, BOTH PRESENT AND PROSPECTIVE FOR THE HIGH COMMISSION, WHICH ARE INHERENT IN THIS SUGGESTION ARE MANIFEST;
4.
MEANWHILE, THE REFUGEES ARE STILL ON BOARD THE SHIP AT AN OIL MOORING SEVEN MILES OFFSHORE. I AM ASSUMING YOU WOULD NOT WISH ME TO TAKE FURTHER ACTION UNTIL YOU INSTRUCT ME. FCO PASS PRIORITY HONG KONG BANGKOK AND UKMIS GENEVA.
CONFIDENTIAL
/FCO
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