TNAG-0792-FCO40-996-Refugees-from-Vietnam-in-Hong-Kong-Vietnamese-boat-people-1978 — Page 171

150

CONFIDENTIAL

BY BAG

CR 2/4821/75 V

N PATERSON ESQ

UND

F CO

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REFUGEES FROM VIETNAM IN HONG KONG more okous Geneva to take up

"AVON FOREST"

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The outcome over the refugees on the "AVON ke writ FOREST" (our telno 1008 - not to all) was far better refugees from than seemed likely at one stage and would not have been possible without extremely helpful American support. I have written to the Consul-General here and have asked him to pass a letter of thanks to Ambassador Unger in Taipei. Joe Millington may wish to add a word of thanks on our (and your) behalf since we know that the State Department gave full support to the efforts made by the US Consulate- General here and the US Embassy in Taipei.

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For the record, I attach copies (also for FED and Joe Millington) of the three main telegrams from Taipei passed to us by the US Consulate-General. The Americans achieved a useful dent in Taivanese policy, even though they were told the decision in this case would not be treated as a precedent. not yet clear what finally made the Taiwanese agree to accept the UK 3-month guarantee. Hovever, one crucial factor was no doubt the fact that the "AVON FOREST" was sitting in port in Kaohsiung rather than in Hong Kong. I hope that if similar cases occur in future, ship-owners will be firmly told right at the start that there is no point in ships attempting to come to Hong Kong when it is not the first scheduled port of call (genuine emergencies always, of course, excepted).

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CONFIDENTIAL

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