TNAG-0890-FCO40-1100-Refugees-from-Vietnam-in-Hong-Kong-Vietnamese-boat-people-1979 — Page 116

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CONFIDENTIAL

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FA 243/1

Mr Murray

VIETNAMESE REFUGEES

HKK 2431

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Sir A Duff

Mr Cortazzi

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JAMESE REFUGERS no good y

1. The Private Secretary to the Secretary of State for Trade

has referred to a letter to his Minister from the President of the General Council of British Shipping (GCBS) and asked for comments in particular:

(a) on the possibility that the Government

(b)

and the GCBS should have a tacit understanding over resettlement of refugees on board British vessels; that the Government should reimburse shipping companies for costs involved, while diplomatic representations were made to other countries.

and

2.

The matters in the GCBS letter were related to the particular

case of the MV Roach Bank. Since the letter was written the

Home Secretary has announced that refugees on board this vessel who were not accepted by the Taiwanese would be brought to this country. However, we have not yet ascertained how many people will have to be admitted.

3. A tacit understanding for the Government to accept responsibility for refugees not taken by other countries (under the first port of call rule) would not be realistic; such an understanding would soon become known. But from the Foreign and Commonwealth Office point of view it would be convenient if the United Kingdom, like the great majority of other Western shipping owners operating vessels in South-East Asia, could openly agree to receive refugees rescued by their own vessels, as was the case under the previous government. This cannot be mentioned to the GCBS.

4. I could not recommend the Government to agree to 'reimburse costs involved while diplomatic representations were made to other

countries. Often such representations extend over a protracted period in which the delay results from other countries' inability or disinclination to reply to our urgent messages.

We should not agree

to make payment for periods over which we have little or no control.

5. I attach a draft letter to the Department of Trade. Amendments

by Mr Murray incorporated.

14 June 1979

CONFIDENTIAL

Muslim

A M Simons

South-East Asian Department