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PRIORITY
GR 137
CYPHER CAT A
FM HONG KNOG 240440Z
CONFIDENTIAL
CONFIDENTIAL
TO PRIORITY TOKYO TEL NO 56 OF 24 OCTOBER 1977
INFO FCO AND UKMIS GENEVA.
YOUR TELNO 99 : VIETNAMESE REFUGEES.
HKK 243/330/1
24 OCT 1977
PA
as
Action Taken
An
See 1156
WE HAVE NOW GONE BACK TO JAPANESE CONSULATE (21 OCTOBER WAS A PUBLIC HOLIDAY HERE AND WE COULD NOT GET HOLD OF THEM).
2.
APPARENTLY AFTER MINE, WHOSE ENGLISH IS NOT VERY GOOD, CALLED ON ACTING POLITICAL ADVISER ON 13 OCTOBER AND RAISED THE QUESTION OF A GUARANTEE, HE THOUGHT THAT WE WERE MAKING THIS A PRE-CONDITION FOR LANDING THE REFUGEES. IN FACT THIS WAS NOT THE CASE AND WE DECIDED TO LAND THE REFUGEES ON 19 OCTOBER WITHOUT ANY GUARANTEE FROM THE JAPANESE. WHEN MINE SAW ACTING POLITICAL ADVISER AGAIN ON 20 OCTOBER, HE HANDED OVER A NOTE VERBALE CONTAINING A GUARANTEE, BUT DRACE-FRANCIS EXPLAINED THAT THIS WAS NOT NECESSARY (MY TELNO 54). WE HAVE NOW REITERATED THIS POSITION TO THE CONSULATE GENERAL AT HIGHER LEVEL. THEY SAID THERE WOULD BE NO ATTEMPT TO MAKE A PRECEDENT CUT OF THIS CASE AND JAPANESE GOVERNMENT WERE GRATEFUL FOR OUR HAVING LANDED THE REFUGEES
STRAIGHTAWAY.
MACLEHOSE
FILES
HK & GD
FED
SEAD
MR CORTAZZI
MR MURRAY
CONFIDENTIAL
15
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