TNAG-0654-FCO40-803-Refugees-from-Vietnam-in-Hong-Kong-1977 — Page 104

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CYPHER CAT A

HKK 243/332/1

GRPS 564

FM HANOI 161238Z

1 OSEP 1977

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Enter qu

19

"12"%.

1/18

31

VSTRY

Action Taken

TO PRIORITY IMMIG HONG KONG TELNO 145 OF 16 SEPTEMBER

INFO ROUTINE FCO

SPECIAL FLIGHTS

1. I DISCUSSED FUTURE FLIGHTS WITH THE DUG OF CONSULAR DEPT

OF THE MFA TODAY. HE SAID THAT LISTS DRAWN

UP BY THE LOCAL AUTHORITIES IN HO CHI MINH CITY AND THOSE WHICH WE (IE MAIDEEN) HAVE PROVIDED DO NOT TALLY. HE SUGGESTED THAT MISS LUKE SHOULD VISIT HO CHI MINH CITY TO RECONCILE THE DISPARITIES. SHE PLANS TO DO THIS ON 19 SEPT IN THE

HOPE THAT WE CAN FIND ENOUGH NAMES COMMON TO BOTH LISTS LISTS TO FILL A FLIGHT ON 30 SEPT. WE SUSPECT HOWEVER THAT VIETNAMESE LIST IS THAT OF EXIT PERMIT HOLDERS TO WHICH THEY REFER TO FREQUENTLY AND NOT A LIST OF ID 258 HOLDERS.

2. MR VU HOANG RAISED THE QUESTION OF THE TAIWANESE. HE SAID THERE WERE MANY HEADS OF FAMILY WHO HAD TAIWANESE VISAS BUT WHOSE DEPENDANTS HAD NONE. HE COULD NOT BELIEVE THAT TAIWAN WOULD BE SO INHUMANE AS TO REFUSE ENTRY TO THE DEPENDANTS. IF HONG KONG WERE TO GRANT THEM TRANSIT VISAS HE WAS SURE TAIWAN

WOULD ACCEPT THEM.

3. WE EXPLAINED YOUR INABILITY TO GIVE TRANSIT VISAS TO PEOPLE WITHOUT GUARANTEED ENTRY TO THIRD COUNTRIES BUT HE URGED US TO ASK YOU TO SEE IF YOU COULD HELP IN ANYWAY THROUGH OUR TAIWAN CONNECTIONS. DO YOU HAVE ANY FORM OF CONSULAR RELATIONS WITH TAIWAN? IF SO WOULD IT BE POSSIBLE, AS A GESTURE OF GOODWILL TO THE VIETNAMESE TO GET A FIRM RULING ON THEIR POLICY TOWARDS FAMILIES OF PEOPLE TO WHOM THEY HAVE GRANTED ENTRY VISAS,

ALSO SOME INDICATION OF THE NUMBER OF ENTRY VISAS THEY HAVE ISSUED

OR ARE LIKELY TO GRANT.

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14. WE KNOW