GRS 400
CONFIDENTIAL
thanx and 1, 24011
1589
RILEIVED IN REGISTRY NO. Š
2 O AUG 1979
DISK OFFICER
RESTRY
CONFIDENTIAL
FM FCO 171812Z AUG 79
TO IMMEDIATE TOKYO
אוכאן
1585
TELEGRAM NUMBER 429 OF 17 AUGUST 1979
INFO PRIORITY PEKING ROUTINE HONG KONG UKMIS GENEVA UKMIS NEW YORK
WASHINGTON OTTAWA PARIS
$85 PEKING TELNO 729: MV RUDD BANK
15874
1
1. TELEGRAM UNDER REFERENCE MAKES IT CLEAR THAT WE MUST NOW DISREGARD
THE POSSIBILITY THAT THE REFUGEES WILL AGREE TO LAND IN CHINA.
2. BANK LINE HAVE TOLD US THAT THEY HAVE ARRANGED A FURTHER CHARTER
FOR THE RUDD BANK, TO MITSUI O'S K LINES OF TOKYO, AND WILL BE DELIVERING THE BOAT TO THE CHARTERERS IN SOUTHERN JAPAN (PORT NOT YET SPECIFIED, BETWEEN SHIMONOSEKI AND YOKOHAMA) AROUND 6 SEPTEMBER.
CHARTERERS ARE AWARE THAT THE RUDD BANK MAY ARRIVE WITH REFUGEES
ON BOARD, AND THE CHARTER WILL NOT START UNTIL THEY HAVE LANDED.
3. PLEASE NOW APPROACH THE FOREIGN MINISTRY SAYING THAT WE NOW
EXPECT THAT WHEN THE RUDD BANK REACHES JAPAN THE REFUGEES (REVISED TOTAL 119) WILL STILL BE ON BOARD. THIS IS IN SPITE OF THE
FULL COOPERATION OF THE CHINESE AUTHORITIES AND THE EFFORTS OF THE
CHINESE AND OF THE OWNERS TO ENCOURAGE THE REFUGEES TO LAND INTO
TEMPORARY ASYLUM IN CHINA, WE HAVE DISCUSSED THE PROBLEM WITH A
VISITING UNHCR REPRESENTATIVE IN PEKING, CASELLA, WHO HAS ALSO
ADVISED THAT IN THE CIRCUMSTANCES THE RUDD BANK SHOULD PROCEED TO
JAPAN, FROM WHERE MOST OF THE REFUGEES, WHO WISH TO SETTLE IN THE
USA, FRANCE AND CANADA, HAVE SIGNIFICANTLY BETTER CHANCES OF
ACCEPTANCE. IN ALL THE CIRCUMSTANCES, WE MUST NOW ASK THE JAPANESE
TO ALLOW THE REFUGEES TO LAND INTO TEMPORARY ASYLUM ON ARRIVAL, ON THE LINES OF THE UNDERTA/ING GIVEN BY MR SONODA IN HIS SPEECH IN
GENEVA ON 20 JULY,
4. YOU MAY DRAW ON FCO TELEGRAMS TO PEKING AND PEKING TELEGRAMS
REPORTING DEVELOPMENTS SINCE THE REFUGEES LEFT HONG KONG AND IN
PARTICULAR ON FCO TELNO 451 TO PEKING OF 8 AUGUST PARAGRAPH 2(111) TO (VII).
>
CONFIDENTIAL
15
No comments yet.
Private notes are available after approval.