TNAG-0792-FCO40-996-Refugees-from-Vietnam-in-Hong-Kong-Vietnamese-boat-people-1978 — Page 202

CONFIDENTIAL

HAVE TOLD THE US CONSULATE-GENERAL THAT WE WISH TO TAKE UP THIS OFFER. THEY HAVE ACCORDINGLY TELEGRAPHED THEIR EMBASSY IN THE

FOLLOWING TERMS :

A. ANY REPRESENTATIONS SHOULD BE MADE IN A WAY WHICH DID NOT STATE

IN TERMS THAT THE AMERICANS WERE ACTING ON BEHALF OF THE HONG KONG

GOVERNMENT: AND

B. THEY SHOULD ARGUE THE CASE INITIALLY ON THE GROUNDS OF NORMAL HUMANITARIAN TREATMENT OF REFUGEES AT THE FIRST PORT OF CALL. THEY SHOULD, HOWEVER, ALSO REFER TO REFUGEES FROM TAIWANESE VESSELS LANDED IN HONG KONG AND SAY THAT THEY UNDERSTOOD THAT THE HONG KONG

GOVERNMENT'S ATTITUDE TOWARDS TAIWANESE VESSELS SEEKING TO LAND REFUGEES HERE WOULD INEVITABLY BE AFFECTED BY THE DECISION IN THIS

CASE,

4. WE HAVE TOLD THE AMERICANS THAT WE BELIEVE YOU WOULD BE WILLING TO LET THEIR EMBASSY INFORM THE TAIWANESE AUTHORITIES (IF NECESSARY) THAT THE UK WOULD GUARANTEE TO ACCEPT ALL REFUGEES WHO

HAD NOT BEEN RESETTLED ELSEWHERE WITHIN THREE MONTHS: BUT THAT

NO HINT OF THIS SHOULD BE GIVEN TO THE TAIWANESE AUTHORITIES UNTIL

WE HAD CONSULTED YOU. WE VERY MUCH HOPE THAT YOU CAN AGREE TO OFFER

THE GUARANTEE IF THE AMERICANS' PRESENT APPROACH FAILS TO PRODUCE

RESULTS. WE HAVE DISCUSSED THIS BRIEFLY WITH HM AMBASSADOR PEKING, WHO IS VISITING HONG KONG, AND HE SEES NO OBJECTION.

5. EVEN IF THE GUARANTEE FAILS WE ASSUME THAT YOU WOULD BE WILLING

TO HAVE ICEM MAKE ARRANGEMENTS FOR THE REFUGEES TO BE FLOWN

IMMEDIATELY HERE FROM TAIWAN AND THEN ON TO THE UK.

6. WE HAVE TOLD THE SHIP'S AGENTS HERE THAT THE REFUGEES CANNOT

BE LANDED SINCE THE SHIP WAS NOT DUE TO CALL AT HONG KONG BUT THAT

WE ARE DOING ALL WE CAN TO ENSURE THAT THEY WILL BE ABLE TO LEAVE

THE SHIP AT KAOHSIUNG. WE HAD EARLIER BEEN TOLD THIS MORNING THAT THE SHIP (APPARENTLY ON INSTRUCTIONS FROM THE OWNERS) WAS DIVERTING

TO HONG KONG AND WAS DUE TO ARRIVE HERE ON THE MORNING OF 16 AUGUST 7, WE HOPE YOU WILL NOW ENCOURAGE THE OWNERS TO INSTRUCT THE SHIP TO CONTINUE TO KAOHSIUNG. GRATEFUL FOR A REPLY TO THE RECOMMENDATION IN PARA 4 BY FLASH TELEGRAM. WE CAN ASK THE US CONSULATE GENERAL HERE TO PASS ON ANY GUARANTEE VIA THEIR EMBASSY IN TAIPEI,

ROBERTS

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UNU

HK & GD

NEWS D PS

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PS/LORD GORONWY

PS/PUS

MR WEIR

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MR MURRAY

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