TNAG-0654-FCO40-803-Refugees-from-Vietnam-in-Hong-Kong-1977 — Page 99

GRPS 330

£7/9/ ?-༡/N/

CYPHER CAT A

FM F C O 1617372

RESTRICTED.

RESTRICTED

Ry

ter در سکے

TIJ 19/4

何

243/332/1

121

TO IMMEDIATE TOKYO TELEGRAM NUMBER 472 OF 16 SEPTEMBER,

AND TO HONG KONG,

INFO ROUTINE MANILA, UKMIS GENEVA, MONROVIA.

120

YOUR TELEGRAM NUMBER 692 VIETNAMESE REFUGEES,

1. IT IS LAMENTABLE THAT THE JAPANESE CONTINUE TO INSIST ON

UNDERTAKINGS FROM THIRD COUNTRIES BEFORE ALLOWING REFUGEES, WHO HAVE BEEN RESCUED AT SEA, TO DISEMBARK AT THEIR PORTS, YOU SHOULD THEREFORE, MAKE REPLY ON THE FOLLOWING LINES AT WHATEVER LEVEL YOU

CONSIDER APPROPRIATE:

A) HMG WILL GIVE SYMPATHETIC CONSIDERATION TO APPLICATIONS FROM

ANY OF THE GROUP OF REFUGEES PICKED UP BY THE GOLDEN DOLPHIN

WHO WISH TO COME TO THE UK, PROVIDED THESE ARE PROCESSED IN

THE NORMAL WAY THROUGH UNHCR,

(B) HMG CANNOT HOWEVER ACCEPT QUOTE ULTIMATE RESPONSIBILITY UNQUOTE

FOR THESE REFUGEES. RESPONSIBILITY FOR THEIR CARE AND MAINTENANCE

AND EVENTUAL RELOCATION, ONCE LANDED, RESTS WITH THE UNHCR: SUCH RESPONSIBILITY HAS BEEN GIVEN TO UNHCR BY GOVERNMENTS, INCLUDING THE JAPANESE GOVERNMENT, WHO SHOULD THEREFORE ASSIST AND NOT

OBSTRUCT THE HIGH COMMISSIONER IN HIS TASK. WE UNDERSTAND UNHCR

HAVE INDEED ALREADY SET MEASURES IN HAND TO LOOK AFTER THIS PRESENT

GROUP. WE WOULD HOPE, ON HUMANITARIAN GROUNDS, THAT THE PRESENT

GROUP BE ALLOWED TO LAND ON THE USUAL UNDERTAKING WHICH UNHCR WILL

PROVIDE.

(C) SHIPS' MASTERS HAVE A RIGHT TO EXPECT TO BE ABLE TO PUT DOWN, AT THE SHIPS NEXT PORT OF CALL, ANY PERSONS RESCUED AT SEA, ΤΟ

DEVIATE FROM THIS PRINCIPLE COULD RESULT IN SHIPS REFUSING TO PICK

UP SURVIVORS WITH CONSEQUENT LOSS OF LIFE. THE HIGH COMMISSIONER

HAS ALREADY APPEALED TO GOVERNMENTS TO ADOPT A MORE HUMANE AND LESS

INFLEXIBLE ATTITUDE TOWARDS THE PLIGHT OF THESE REFUGEES,

RESTRICTED

((0)

See (122)