TNAG-0896-FCO40-1106-Refugees-from-Vietnam-in-Hong-Kong-Vietnamese-boat-people-1979 — Page 125

670

CONFIDENTIAL.

CONFIDENTIAL

FM PEKİNG 179928Z AUGUST 79

DESKBY 171200Z

TO IMMEDIATE FCO

1585

_HKK 243 L! RECEIVED IN REGISTRY NO

20 AUG 1979

OFFICER

RENTINY

ction Tukun

TELEGRAM NUMBER 729 OF 17 AUGUST

INFO ROUTINE HONG KONG, UKMIS GENEVA, UKMIS NEW-YORK,

WASHINGTON, OTTAWA, TOKYO, PARIS,

1573A

1574A

YOUR TELNOS. 459 AND 460: MV RUDD BANK.

Sex 1589

1. CASELLA CALLED AT THE EMBASSY ON 17 AUGUST. HE HAD SPOKEN

TO THE CHINESE ABOUT THE REFUGEES ABOARD RUDD BANK AND DIS- CUSSED WITH THEM THE POSSIBILITY OF UNHCR REGISTERING THE REFUGEES

AND ARRANGING THEIR ONWARD TRAVEL TO COUNTRIES OF FINAL SETTLE- MENT. THE CHINESE MADE CLEAR TO HIM THAT THEY WERE PREPARED TO

ACCEPT THESE REFUGEES EITHER FOR PERMANTENT SETTLEMENT, OR ON A

TEMPORARY BASIS. THEY WERE NOT, HOWEVER, PREPARED TO FORCE THE

REFUGEES TO ENTER CHINA AGAINS THEIR WILL. MANY OF THE REFUGEES

HAD CLOSE CONNECTIONS WITH THE FORMER SOUTH VIETNAMESE ARMY OR

GOVERNEMENT, AND WERE STRONGLY OPPOSED TO LANDING IN CHINA.

2. CASELLA EXPLAINED THAT THE UNHCR WERE PREPARED TO REGISTER

THE REFUGEES AND PROCESS THEM FOR RESETTLEMENT IF THEY WERE LANDED

TEMPORARILY IN CHINA. BUT HE COULD OFFER NO GUARANTEEE TO THE

REFUGEES THAT THEY WOULD BE RESETTLED -

THIS HAD TO COME FROM A GOVERNMENT, SUCH AS, HE INSTANCED, HMG.

FURTHERMORE HE WOULD NOT ADVISE THE REFUGEES TO LAND SINCE IF

THEY DID, THEY WOULD BE INELIGIBLE FOR ENTRY INTO THE UNITED STATES

UNDER THEIR REFUGEE PROGRAMME SINCE THIS ONLY APPLIES TO

PERSONS IN WHAT THEY ARE PREPARED TO CONSIDER AC COUNTRIES OF

FIRST ASYLUN, AMONG WRICH CHINA DOES NOT REPEAT NOT NUMBER. ONCE LANDED IN SHANGHAI, ON WHAT EVER BASIS, THE REFUGEES COULD ONLY APPLY TO TRAVEL TO THE USA AS PROSPECTIVE IMMIGRANTS FROM CHINA - A LENGTHY PROCESS, ULTIMATELY UNSECCESSFUL IN MANY CASES. UNHCR HAD AGREED TO PROCESS THE ONWARD TRANSIT OF 100 REFUGEES WHO HAD BEEN BROUGHT TO CANTON BY CHINESE SHIPS, AND WERE FACING SERIOUS PROBLEMS FINDING PLACE FOR THEM. EVEN COUNTRIES SUCH AS FRANCE, CANADA AND AUSTRALIA WHO HAD NO TECHNICAL BAR AGAINST TAKING REFUGEES FROM CHINA AS A COUNTRY OF FIRST ASYLUM TENDED TO

GIVE PRIORITY TO APPLICATIONS FROM THE ASEAN COUNTRIES,

CONFIDENTIAL

13. WE