TNAG-0891-FCO40-1101-Refugees-from-Vietnam-in-Hong-Kong-Vietnamese-boat-people-1979 — Page 33

CONFIDENTIAL

1HKK 243

CR150

CONFIDENTIAL

FM FCO 251315Z JUN 79

TO PRIORITY HONG KONG

TELEGRAM NUMBER 441 OF 25 JUNE

INFO PRIORITY TOKYO

VIETNAMESE REFUGEES

28/1199

1. THE JAPANESE EMBASSY HAVE INFORMED US THAT THEIR GOVERNMENT DECIDED ON 23 JUNE THAT THEY WOULD NO LONGER REQUIRE GUARANTEES OF RESETTLEMENT PLACES FROM THIRD COUNTRIES WHOSE SHIPS REACHED JAPAN WITH REFUGEES ON BOARD, WHETHER OR NOT THE JAPANESE PORT WAS FIRST SCHEDULED PORT OF CALL. THIS HOWEVER IS WITH THE PROVISO THAT RECIPROCITY WAS GUARANTEED IN RESPECT OF JAPANESE REGISTERED SHIPS ARRIVING IN PORTS OF OTHER TERRITORIES. 2. THE EMBASSY SPECIFICALLY ASKED WHETHER THE HONG KONG GOVERNMENT WOULD BE PREPARED IN THESE CIRCUMSTANCES TO WAIVE THE NEED FOR A GUARANTEE OF RESETTLEMENT PLACES FROM THE JAPANESE GOVERNMENT IN RESPECT OF JAPANESE REGISTERED VESSELS ARRIVING IN HONG KONG

WITH REFUGEES ON BOARD.

3. GRATEFUL FOR YOUR VIEWS WHICH WE HAVE UNDERTAKEN TO PASS TO

THE JAPANESE.

CARRINGTON

FILES SEAD HK & GD

UND

FED

BESD

X AM D SAD EID (E)

PUSD

OTD

IPD

M & VD

PS

PS/LPS

[COPIES SENT TO NO 10 DOWNING ST).

NEWS D

COPIES TO:

HONG KONG GOVT.OFFICE LONDON

MR.WOODFIELD

MR.BURLEIGH

MR.HILLARY

MR.V.MCGEE

HOME OFFICE QUEEN ANNE'S GATE

HOME OFFICE LUNAR HOUSE CHOYDON.

FAO/ODA

PS/MR. HURD

PS/HR. BLAKER

PS/PUS

SIR A DUFF

SIR A PARSONS

MR.CORPAZZI

MR. LEANY

MR.MURRAY

MR.BIRT

CONFIDENTIAL