TNAG-0654-FCO40-803-Refugees-from-Vietnam-in-Hong-Kong-1977 — Page 53

GR 153

PRIORITY

CYPHER CAT A

FM TOKYO 158315Z

CONFIDENTIAL

TOP COPY

CONFIDENTIAL

TO PRIORITY FCO TELNO 749 OF 15/10

HKKS40/332|1

17007/977

DESK OF

RPTD PRIORITY HONGKONG UKMIS GENEVA. HONGKONG TEL NO 51 TO ME: VIETNAMESE REFUGEES.

1. IT MAY BE AS WELL

''GOLDEN DOLPHIN' CASE

148

See 148

148

LINA have undertaken to reply Jo

NOT TO PUT TOO MUCH EMPHASIS ON THE

SO SOON AFTER ITS CONCLUSION.

JAPANESE WERE INSISTANT THAT IT WAS NOT A PRECEDENT.

THE

THEY MAY

WELL BE PERSUADED IN A SPECIFIC CASE TO DO AGAIN WHAT THEY HAVE DONE BEFORE, BUT THERE IS LITTLE POSSIBILITY THAT THEY COULD GIVE ANY GENERAL ASSURANCE TO THE HONG KONG GOVT.

2.

IF THE HONGKONG ADMINISTRATION WERE TO ADMIT THE REFUGEES WITHOUT PRESSING FOR ASSURANCES FROM THE JAPANESE, THEY MIGHT WISH TO MAKE IT VERY CLEAR THAT THEY HOPED THAT THEIR FLEXIBILITY IN THIS CASE WOULD BE MATCHED BY JAPANESE FLEXIBILITY IN ANY FUTURE CASES IN JAPAN INVOLVING HONG KONG OR BRITISH SHIPS. WE COULD HAMMER THE MESSAGE HOME HERE AS WELL.

GIFFARD

FILES

HKJGD FED

SEAD

CONFIDENTIAL