TNAG-0896-FCO40-1106-Refugees-from-Vietnam-in-Hong-Kong-Vietnamese-boat-people-1979 — Page 233

CONFIDENTIAL

3. YOUR FIRST TELEGRAM UNDER REFERENCE PARA 3(1), WE SEE LITTLE

MERIT IN A GUARANTEE THAT THE UK WILL AGREE TO ACCEPT ANY OF THE

REFUGEES WHO ARE NOT ACCEPTED ELSEWHERE, GIVEN THAT SO MANY OF THEM WISH TO GO TO THE US,CANADA AND FRANCE (YOUR SECOND TELEGRAM UNDER REFERENCE). THIS WOULD IN ANY CASE GIVE US CONSIDERABLE

DIFFICULTY AND CANNOT BE OFFERRED TO CASELLA. WE ALSO WISH TO

RETAIN THE OPTION OF GETTING THE JAPANESE TO ACCEPT THEM IN ACCORDANCE WITH MR SONODA'S UNDERTAKING AT GENEVA, IT WOULD NOT

IN ANY CASE BE IN THE INTERESTS OF ANY OF THE REFUGEES HOPING TO

SETTLE IN THE USA, IF A BRITISH OFFER WERE MADE TO THEM: IF THEY FELL IN A LOWER US CATEGORY, THEY WOULD THEN BE DISQUALIFIED BY

HAVING AN OFFER FROM ELSEWHERE.

CARRINGTON

FILES SEAD

K & GD

UND

RED

EESD

NAM D

SAD

HAED

EID

FUSD

OID

IPD

NEWS D MVD

PS

FS/LP3

FS/MR HURD FS/MR BLAKER

PS/PUS

SIR A DUFF

MR CORTAZZI

MR MURRAY

MR STRATTON

LORD NG LENNOX MR BULLIARD

MR FERGUSSCH MR FREIVELL

2

ADDITIONAL DISTRIBUTION BOAT PEOPLE

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