TNAG-0654-FCO40-803-Refugees-from-Vietnam-in-Hong-Kong-1977 — Page 81

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I POINTED OUT THAT IT WOULD BE MORE USUAL, RATHER THAN ASKING US TO WITHDRAW A NOTE WHICH HAD ALREADY BEEN HANDED OVER (AND WHICH HAD BEEN DESIGNED TO MEET THEIR REQUIREMENTS), TO REPLY TO IT WITH A STATEMENT OF THE JAPANESE GOVERNMENT'S CONCERNS, BUT MATSUNAGA WAS AFRAID THAT SUCH A REPLY WOULD MERELY CONTAIN A

REPETITION OF THE MINISTRY OF JUSTICE'S UNACCEPTABLE DEMANDS. I ACCORDINGLY AGREED TO PUT THIS PROPOSITION TO YOU. MATSUNAGA

SEEMED REASONABLY CONFIDENT THAT THE NEW NOTE WOULD BE ACCEPTABLE. HE IS NOW SOUNDING OUT THE GROUND, YOU MAY CONSIDER THAT IT WILL BE BEST FOR THE REFUGEES, THE OWNERS OF THE SHIP AND OTHERS

CONCERNED TO GIVE IT KM TRY. MY IMPRESSION IS THAT IT MAY WELL DO

THE TRICK SO FAR AS THE PRESENT CASE IS CONCERNED, AND THAT ALTHOUGH

WE SHALL HAVE NO FORMAL COMMITMENT TO A REVISION OF THE JAPANESE

ATTITUDE OF PRINCIPLE, IT WILL IN PRACTICE HAVE BEEN UNDERMINED

TO,A RECONSIDERABLE EXTENT,

2. MEANWHILE, AFTER SOME ENCOURAGEMENT FROM US THROUGH THE AGENT HERE, THE OWNERS OF THE SHIP HAVE AGREED TO POSTPONE ITS DEPARTURE

FROM JAPAN FOR 24 HOURS. THIS GIVES US UNTIL 4PM ON 22 SEPTEMBER

LOCAL TIME (8AM GMT) TO SORT THIS QUESTION OUT. THE AGENT DID

TELL US THAT HE WAS UNDER INSTRUCTIONS FROM THE OWNERS TO APPROACH

US ABOUT THE COST OF THE 24 HOURS' DELAY. WE REMINDED THE AGENT

THAT WE HAD SUGGESTED TO HIM THAT IT MIGHT BE WORTH THE INVESTMENT

OF THAT MUCH OF THE OWNER'S MONEY TO HAVE THE CHANCE OF LANDING THE

REFUGEES IN JAPAN. THE OWNERS COULD HAVE REFUSED AND TAKEN THE

REFUGEES AWAY. THE AGENT AT LEAST SHOULD HAVE BEEN UNDER NO

MISAPPREHENSION ON THE FINANCIAL RESPONSIBILITY.

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13. GRATEFUL