TNAG-0880-FCO40-1090-Refugees-from-Vietnam-in-Hong-Kong-Vietnamese-boat-people-1979 — Page 167

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HKK 243/1

Mr Simons (DEAD W.85).

N2

Reference

243/1 vr Williamson

M2

VIETNAMESE REFUGEES-IN-BRUNET

1.

273

- there is not, yet, a long hom aiged to his -but the possibility of one developing; obvious.

Ankoping:

71357,

I timed to you this morning advance copies of Brunei ternos 34 and 35. The deadlock envisaged in paragraph 2 of our telno 12 of 26 January has been reached.

3. I fully understand the difficulties of lancing more Vietnamese refugees on the Gurkhas but they are (Brunei telno 35) shortly to get rid of the 35 they already have and you may consider that the burden of the additional hundred efupees would not be insupportable in view of the drastic alternative

we

4.

shall need to send an immediate telerram to our High Commissioner tonight. There can be no question of our arranging an immediate airlift but the sultan might well be prepared to contemplate the refugees being allowed to remain in Gurkha lines while we pressed the UNHCR urgently to resettle them. You might like to consider instructing the ligh Commissioner in this wema. Although it is outside present policy, Home Office officials are inclined, subject to telephonic confirmation Rter thin afternoon, to allow us to tell the ultan that we would agree to bring to the UK any of this roup of refurces for whom UNCR Piled to find a home. Home Office officials chare my conc.rn about possible Linisterial reaction to the grisly alternative.

THIS IS A COPY

THE ORIGINAL HAS BEEN

CLOSED UNTIL

UNDER FOI

EXEMPTION NO 27.(19), 14.)...

30 January 1979

tin::on

TAKE

United lation: Department

K 152

دارید از باران

CC:

Mr Murray

Mr Leahy

GD

M/D

lir

ail:

C# 18-7}