GX 19
RESTRICTED
DEÁKBY 051000Z
FANILA 050400Z JAN 79
TO IMMEDIATE FCO
RESTRICTED
TELEGRAM NUMBER Ø98 OF 5 JANUARY.
UND 443K
"17.
See 83
£54
52
AKK 243,
RECEIVED IN REGISTRY NO. 51
I
INFO IMMEDIATE GOVERNOR HONGKONG, ROUTINE JUKMIS DENEAN, 9 WASHINGTON, CANBERRA, KUALA LUMPUR, SINGAPORE, BANGKOK AND HONG CHONG GOVERNMENT OFFICE LONDON.
YOUR TELNO 003: TUNG AN.
INDEX
No Mat
that
#otion 7 Ben
406) НКК 243/1 (1978)
1. WE HAVE OF COURSE ALREADY BEEN APPROACHED (PARAGRAPH 3 OF YTUR) BY FILIPINO AUTHORITIES (MY TELNO 238, PARAGRAPH 4) AND UNHCR REPRESENTATIVE (MY TELNO 006, WHICH CROSSED WITH YTUR, PARAGRAPH 5). BOTH ARE DISPOSED TO THINK OUR RESPONSE OVERDUE, ESPECIALLY IN LIGHT OF FIRST PORT OF CALL PRINCIPLE.
2. BUT AN OFFER TO TAKE JUST THE 7 IF THEIR CLAIM TO BRITISH CONNECTIONS CAN BE SUSTAINED IS UNLIKELY TO HAVE MUCH IMPACT IN THE LIGHT OF CTHER COUNTRIES' OFFERS TO TAKE SOME HUNDREDS AND MAY EVEN BE COUNTER-PRODUCTIVE, PRECIPITATING PHILIPPINES DECISION TO SEND SHIP TO HONG KONG. WE ARE LIKELY ALSO TO BE ASKED ABOUT THE 21 CLAIMING CONNECTIONS IN HONG KONG ABOUT WHICH I HAVE AS, YET NO INSTRUCTIONS.
3. IN THESE CIRCUMSTANCES I THINK I HAD BETTER, CONTINUE TO STALL FOR A DAY OR SO WHILST WE SEE WHAT ELSE EMERGES (PRESS TODAY REPORTS FRANCE AND NEW ZEALAND AS HAVING AGREED TO TAKE UNSPECIFIED NEMBERS FROM TUNG AN). IF IN THAT INTERVAL YOU ARE ABLE TO AUTHORISE ANY KIND OF BETTER OFFER THAT WOULD CERTAINLY HELP. BUT I JUDGE
8 JANUARY TO BE THE LATEST THAT WE CAN DELAY A RESPONSE TO FILIPINO AND UNHCR ENQUIRIES.
4. IT MIGHT HELP MARGINALLY IF YOU COULD AUTHORISE ME TO SAY THAT THE 24 FROM THE ANCO SCEPTRE NOW IN THE MANILA CENTRE AND REFERRED TO YOU IN ACCORDANCE WITH YOUR TELNO 131 (NOT TO ALL) AS HAVING BEEN TURNED DOWN ELSEWHERE MIGHT PROCEED AT ONCE TO BRITAIN.
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