TNAG-0654-FCO40-803-Refugees-from-Vietnam-in-Hong-Kong-1977 — Page 27

PRIORITY

GPS 477

YPHER/CAT A

HANOI 250330Z

CONFIDENTIAL

CONF IDENTIAL

TO PRIORITY HONG KONG TELNO

173 OF 25 OCTOBER

AND TO PRIORITY FCO

YOUR TELNO 918 TO FCO (PARA 3) : SPECIAL FLIGHTS,

PA

154

HKK 243/330/1

INDEX

24 OCT 07

Nood

1. I DISCUSSED WITH CHADDERTON, AND THRENU AFTER TESTING REACTIONS OF CONSULAR DEPT IN SAIGON, WITH MAIDEEN. LATTERS ASSESSMENT IS THAT WE SHALL GET TWO FLIGHTS IN NOVEMBER AND TWO IN DECEMBER (UNHCR, ICRC, INDIANS AND FRENCH ARE ALSO TRYING). BY THEN HE THINKS THAT ALL THOSE WHO ARE GOING

TO GET EXIT PERMITS WILL HAVE GOT THEM (IE NOT EVEN ALL THE PRESENT LIST OF ABOUT 801 EFFECTIVES WILL GET THEM ANYWAY).

HE HAS ALSO HAD A STRONG HINT THAT VIETNAMESE IN SAIGON SEE

FEBRUARY AS OUR WINDING-UP DATE.

2. HE HAS PERSONAL AND OTHER REASONS FOR WANTING TO BE HOME

BY CHRISTMAS BUT HAS VOLUNTEERED TO EXTEND THIS TO END JANUARY,

HE WANTS ME TO ANNOUNCE HIS DEPARTURE BY END NOVEMBER WHICH

WILL GIVE HIM TIME TO WIND UP WITH VIETNAMESE COOPERATION (WITHOUT IT, HE WOULD FIND IT DIFFICULT).

2. THIS I THINK IS VERY GENEROUS ON HIS PART. IT DEPENDS

HOWEVER ON YOUR MEETING OUR DEADLINES - THE UP TO DATE LIST

OF ID 258 BY TODAY AS PROMISED BY CHADDERTON ON LAST FLIGHT, AND A FINAL ANSWER ON THE 'LIST OM 1500' (OUR TELNO 158),

AND GIVING EXCEPTIONAL TREATMENT TO CASES RECOMMENDED BY

VIETNAMESE FOR THEIR OWN REASONS. THERE IS LESS QUESTION OF

SETTING DANGEROUS PRECEDENTS IF FLIGHTS ARE TO BE WOUND UP.

FINALLY, YOU SHOULD RECONCILE YOURSELVES TO TURNING OFF THE TAP OF APPROVALS BY THIRD WEEK NOVEMBER. WE CANNOT GUARANTEE

THAT IF THERE IS A BIG LIST OF ID 258'S OUTSTANDING THE

VIETNAMESE WILL NOT EXERT PRESSURE TO CONTINUE FLIGHTS BY

BLOCKING WINDING UP EXERCISE AND MAIDEENS DEPARTURE.

Plate

4. MAIDEEN HAS SEEN AND AGREED.

See 155

TESH

FILES

SEAD

HK & GD

PS/PUS

MR CORTAZZI

NTD

MVU

MR MURRAY

MR KEEBLE

PS/LORD GORONWY-ROBERTS

CONFIDENT VAL