TNAG-0882-FCO40-1092-Refugees-from-Vietnam-in-Hong-Kong-Vietnamese-boat-people-1979 — Page 24

TRANSIT

HKK 243/1.

R&DIVO

INDEX

51

Mr. Simons SEAD

9 MAR 1979 HANOI, LE 6 MARS 1979

RECU LE

по

J123

2

ADRESSE VIA LE DEPARTEMENT A LONDRES NO 1/3

ROUTINE

DISTRIBUTION RESERVEE

460

Min-Humber

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egy

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who received report

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but using it - it in and heaven "

Mossy wet prom Hvitlanads) at Home

heading.

SMETTRE

52

JE VOUS SERAIS RECONNAISSANT DE BIEN VOULOIR TRANSMETTRE AU FOREIGN OFFICE'' LE TELEGRAMME SUIVANT QUE L'AMBASSADEUR DE GRANDE-BRETAGNE A HANOI VIENT DE ME REMETTRE, EN RAISON DE LA GREVE QUI AFFECTE SON SERVICE DU CHIFFRE.

CITATION:

''CONFIDENTIAL. FOLLOWING FOR SOUTH EAST ASIA DEPARTMENT, FOREIGN AND COMMONWEALTH OFFICE, LONDON.

VIETNAMESE REFUGEES LUCKY DRAGON

1 - AS INSTRUCTED IN YOUR TELEGRAM RECEIVED ON 1 MARCH THROUGH THE FRENCH EMBASSY, I SOUGHT AN IMMEDIATE APPOINTMENT AT MFA.MFA COULD NOT AGREE TO SEE ME BEFORE 5 MARCH. I THEREFORE DELIVERED A NOTE

ON 2 MARCH CONTAINING TEXT IN YOUR TELEGRAM. I ALSO GAVE INFORMATION

TO DE HAAN, DEPUTY UN HIGH COMMISSIONER FOR REFUGEES, WHO, WITHOUT MENTIONING LUCKY DRAGON BY NAME, SPOKE TO VICE MINISTER HOANG BICH SON ON 3 MARCH ABOUT SUCH REFUGEE SHIPS.

2- I WAS SUMMONED TO MFA ON 5 MARCH, HEAD OF EUROPE 2 DEPARTMENT, MAI VAN BO, SAID THAT INFORMATION IN NOTE WAS PURE FABRICATION AND

SLANDEROUS. THE GOVERNMENT OF VIETNAM WAS NOT INVOLVED IN ARRANGING

DEPARTURE OF REFUGEES. HMG MUST END ITS ATTITUDE OF HOSTILITY

TOWARDS VIETNAM AND BEAR RESPONSIBILITY FOR WORSENING RELATIONS.

HE REJECTED NOTE. HE ADDED THAT VIETNAM WAS COOPERATING CLOSELY

WITH UNHCR ON REFUGEE PROBLEMS.

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