TNAG-0880-FCO40-1090-Refugees-from-Vietnam-in-Hong-Kong-Vietnamese-boat-people-1979 — Page 58

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CONFIDENTIAL

ADMISSION TO SHIPS CARRYING MORE REFUGEES THAN MIGHT REASONABLY HAVE BEEN PICKED UP AT SEA, EVEN IF THEIR FIRST FORT OF CALL WAS HONG KONG, I SHOULD ADD THOUGH THAT THIS LAST SUGGESTION MIGHT WELL CAUSE DIFFICULTIES OF PRINCIPLE HERE AND I COULD NOT GUARANTEE A FAVOURABLE WIND.

4. WE ARE DISCUSSING YOUR SUGGESTIONS ON SOLAS AND IMCO WITH

THE D.O.T. BUT THERE ARE SERIOUS DOUBTS ABOUT THEIR APPLICATION IN THIS CASE. IF WE CAN FIND SOMETHING WHICH WOULD HELP, WE WILL LET YOU KNOW.

OWEN

FILES HK & GD (6)

UND

SEAD

FED

SAD

PUSD

OID

IPD

NEWS D MVD

PS

PS/LORD GORONWY ROBERTS PS/MR LUARD

PS/PUS

SIR A DUFF

SIR A PARSONS MR CORTAZZI MR J C MOBERLY MR MURRAY

COP:

COPIES TO

HONG KONG GOVERNMENT OFFICE

LONDON

MR BURLEIGH HOME OFFICE

QUEEN ANNE'S GATE

MR A BIRT HOME OFFICE LUNAR HOUSE CROYDON

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CONFIDENTIAL

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