TNAG-0896-FCO40-1106-Refugees-from-Vietnam-in-Hong-Kong-Vietnamese-boat-people-1979 — Page 223

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UNHCR MEETING OF EXPERTS ON RESUCE OPERATIONS GENEVA 14 AUGUST 1979

OPENING STATEMENT BY UK REPRESENTATIVE (D SNOXELL)

1.

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Masters of British Merchant ships on passage throught South China Sea have made a major contribution towards the rescue

of refugees. British Merchant ships have so far rescued about 1,850 refugees. The latest rescue of 124 refugees by MV Rudd Bank

took place on 4 August.

2. HMG have made clear to the High Commissioner's Office and also to many of the other delegations present that it considers that the most pressing problems concerning rescue of refugees at sea are those

which arise in the case of rescues by merchant shipping. Masters of British Merchant ships will continue to carry out their responsibilities to render assistance under International Law and

under British maritime legislation and we believe that if all other

nations' merchant shipping in the South China Sea displayed the same response, that could perhaps result in the saving of more refugees' lives than programmes of active rescue.

3. We fear that, because such operations can never be comprehensive, they are likely to result in more people venturing out to sea in unseaworthy boats in the hope of being picked up than is likely to be rescued. We fear also that such operation may cause the Government of Vietnam to contend that the action of "certain States" was

designed to frustrate the Vietnamese Government's best efforts to implement its undertaking to the UN Secretary General at the Geneva meeting. British masters will, of course, continue to respond properly. But my Government considers that before we can reasonably ask masters of merchant vessels to take on wider responsibilities for rescueing refugees (when cases which are beyond the range of their radar or vision are brought to their attention by active rescue units) consideration should be given to ensuring that companies are not exposed to the likelihood of incurring financial loss.

4.

There are no British naval vessels in the region which could be made available for participation in active rescue operations and the British Government does not propose to direct naval vessels from commitments elsewhere for that purpose. A number of voluntary agencies in the United Kingdom have considered chartering vessels to

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