TNAG-0891-FCO40-1101-Refugees-from-Vietnam-in-Hong-Kong-Vietnamese-boat-people-1979 — Page 90

Mr Hayward

Far Eastern Department

VIETNAMESE REFUGEES:

RESTRICTED

ROACHBANK

HKK.243/1

RECEIVED IN INDSK? NO. 31 2 1 JUN1979

INCO

ло

OFFICIA

PA

REGISTRY Action T

น

228.6 MA20

no/728.6

1175

1. In paragraph 5 of your minute of 20 June you suggested that RAF aircraft might be sent to Hong Kong to pick up the ROACHBANK refugees. This would probably only be acceptable to the Hong Kong Government if the refugees were in direct transit, having been flown from Taiwan. They would be extremely reluctant to allow the ROACHBANK to sail to Hong Kong in order to offload its refugees,

2. As you may know, the Government have decided to send reinforcements to Hong Kong. The first troops will be moving within the next few days in RAF aircraft. It may be that some of these aircraft will be returning empty or only half full. You may want to enquire whether there would be any possibility of bringing some of the ROACHBANK refugees to this country by this means, The contact in the Ministry of Defence is Mr John Miles in DS8 (tel: 218 6214).

21 June 1979

сс

Mr Murray

Mr Simons, SEAD

RESTRICTED

R JT McLaren

Hong Kong and General Department

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