TNAG-0654-FCO40-803-Refugees-from-Vietnam-in-Hong-Kong-1977 — Page 134

?

Enteropa

Foreign and Commonwealth Office London SW1A 2AH

Telephone 01-233-3130

P F Ricketts Esq

British High Commission Singapore

1/11/2

Your reference

Our reference

Date

UNS 243/508/1

16 August 1977

INDO-CHINESE REFUGEES

1.

105

Thank you for your letter of 5 August to Pat Morgan, who is away on leave, enclosing a letter from "The Boat People" asking for assistance in dispersing the remaining refugees on board the "Leap Dal".

2. While we have every sympathy with the plight of those on board the "Leap Dal" I am afraid that there is really very little we can do to help. We would not wish to get involved with the Singapore Authorities over this matter for the reasons given in Pat Morgan's letter of 23 May to Eric Callway (copied to you); it is for UNHCR and WCRP to encourage the Singapore Authorities to allow the "Lean D1" people ashore. We have, however told UNHCR that we would be prepared to accept a few applications, within our agreed quota of 116 "boat people", from those on board who were originally "boat people".(This offer also applied to those on board the "Roland", another ship dha rtered by WCRP).

3. Unfortunately of the two hundred and fifty two persons put aboard the "Leap Dal" last February we understand that only a handful vere "boat people" and that over two hundred were Laotians. Only fifty worn registered with UNHCR and most are reported to have paid an "agent" up to $800 for "a place to Australia". We doubt whether the Home Office would feel able to accept applications from them (unless they had otherwise close ties with the UK and sponsors here), since to do so woul be at the expense of genuine Vietnamese "boat people".

I hope that the above will be of some help in preparing a reply to the "Boat People's" letter.

4.

c.c. Mr Humphrey SEAD

Mr Berry MVD Mr David HKGD

RESTRICTED

SG Eldon

UN Department

}