TNAG-0792-FCO40-996-Refugees-from-Vietnam-in-Hong-Kong-Vietnamese-boat-people-1978 — Page 145

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4. GRATEFUL IF YOU AND WASHINGTON WOULD MAKE IT CLEAR TO THE AMERICANS THAT WE HAVE TAKEN CONSIDERABLE RISKS IN AGREEING IN THIS CASE TO BREACH A PRINCIPLE TO WHICH WE ATTACH VERY GREAT IMPORTANCE, WE WOULD HAVE FELT FULLY JUSTIFIED IN INSISTING THAT

THE REFUGEES SHOULD BE MOVED WITHIN SEVEN DAYS AND ONLY REFRAINED FROM DOING SO BECAUSE WE UNDERSTOOD THAT IN PRACTICAL TERMS THIS WOULD HAVE BEEN IMPOSSIBLE FOR THE AMERICANS. PLEASE ADD :

A. WHILE WE HAVE LANDED THE REFUGEES AGAINST THE 30 DAY

GUARANTEE, WE DID NOT OURSELVES ORIGINALLY REQUEST SUCH

AN UNDERTAKING.

B. IN VIEW OF THE WIDER IMPLICATIONS OF ENCOURAGING SHIPS TO

DIVERT HERE AND THE GENERAL UNDESIRABILITY OF ENCOURAGING DEMANDS FOR GUARANTEES AT THE FIRST PORT OF CALL, WE REMAN DISAPPOINTED THAT THE AMERICANS FELT IT NECESSARY TO OFFER THEIR GUARANTEE RATHER THAN TO ASK THE SHIP TO PROCEED TO

BANGKOK.

5. WE HAVE PASSED A COPY OF THIS TELEGRAM TO THE US CONSULATE-

GENERAL (WHO HAVE THROUGHOUT SHOWN THE FULLEST UNDERSTANDING OF CUR PROBLEMS). THEY AGREE THAT IT REFLECTS ACCURATELY OUR DISCUSSIOR

WITH THEM.

VIENTIANE PLEASE PASS SAVING HANOI.

MACLEHOSE

FILES

UND

NAMD

SEAD

HK & GD

NEWS D

PUSD

OID

PS

PS/MR LUARD

PS/LORD GORONNY ROBERTS

MR STRATTON

MR CORTAZZ-I

MR HALL

2.

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