TNAG-0888-FCO40-1098-Refugees-from-Vietnam-in-Hong-Kong-Vietnamese-boat-people-1979 — Page 154

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AND HAVE NO RELATIONS WITH IT. YOUR COVERNMENT HOWEVER

HAS FRIENDLY RELATIONS WITH TAIWAN AND HE SHOULD ACCORDINGLY

BE MOST GRATEFUL IF YOUR GOVERNMENT COULD TAKE THIS MATTER

UP WITH THE TAIWANESE AUTHORITIES AS A MATTER OF THE

UTMOST URGENCY.

MAY I ALSO TAKE THIS OPPORTUNITY OF APPEALING TO YOUR

GOVERNMENT TO DO ANYTHING THEY CAN TO HELP GENERALLY TO

COPE WITH THE FLOOD OF REFUGEES. COULD KOREA FOR

INSTANCE ACCEPT SOME REFUGEES FROM HONG KONG? OVER 1000

REFUGEES MOSTLY IN SMALL POATS ARE ARRIVING DAILY IN PONG

KONG. THE COLONY IS SATURATED AND THERE IS SIMPLY NO

SPACE TO ACCOMMODATE THEM. AS A

AS A RESULT MANY APE HAVING -

TO FXIST IN APPALLING CONDITIONS ON SMALL POATS IN PONG

KONG HARBOUR.

I SHOULD BE MOST GRATEFUL FOR ANYTHING YOUR

GOVERNMENT CAN DO TO ASSIST US.'

#

2. THE KOREAN EMBASSY HAVE SINCE TOLD US THAT THEY EXPECT THAT

THE ROK GOVERNMENT WILL BE PREPARED TO TRANSMIT THE TSSAGE TO

THE TAIWANESE AUTHORITIES. THE EMBASSY WERE MORE DOUBTFUL

ABOUT THE DEGREE TO WHICH THE KOREAN GOVERNMENT WOULD ITSELF

BE PREPARED TO SUBSCRIBE TO THE BRITISH PLEA TO THE TAIWANESE,

.BEARING IN MIND THAT THE KOREANS THEMSELVES COULD NOT GIVE AN

UNEQUIVOCAL UNDERTAKING TO ADMIT FEFUGEES IN SIMILAR

CIRCUMSTANCES. WE HAVE PRESSED THE FMBASSY TO REQUEST THE

KOREAN AUTHORITIES IN TRANSMITTING THE MESSAGE TO TAIWAN AT

LEAST TO ASSOCIATE THEMSELVES WITH THE DESCRIPTIONS OF THE

URGENCY OF THE PROBLEM, THE NEED FOR A SOLUTION AND THE

STRENGTH OF OPINION IN BRITAIN.

3. CRATEFUL IF YOU WOULD TAKE PARALLEL ACTION WITH THE

AUTHORITIES IN SEOUL AS SOON AS POSSIBLE, STRESSING THE

URGENCY OF THE MATTER.

CARRINGTON

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