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FIDENTIAL
CONFIDENTIAL
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16.7
RECEIVES ME ALGISTE Y NO. 51 2 8 AUG 1979
INDE
REGISTRY
Action Taken
!
FM TOKYO 243940Z AUG 79
TO IMMEDIATE FCO
TELEGRAM NUMBER 463 OF 24 AUGUST, 1979
INFO IMMEDIATE UKMIS GENEVA AND PEKING PRIORITY WASHINGTON
UKMIS NEW YORK ROUTINE HONG KONG OTTAWA AND PARIS YOUR TELNO 438: MV RUDD BANK
see
1633
I CALLED ON WATANABE, CNSELLOR IN THE ASIAN AFFAIRS BUREAU 1643) OF THE JAPANESE MINISTRY OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS, ON 24 AUGUST, IN THE ABSENCE OF HIS DIRECTOR-GENERAL, AND SPOKE ACCORDINGLY, WE DISCUSSED THE MATTER AT LENGTH. MY GENERAL IMPRESSION IS THAT IF THE SHIP SAILS FOR A JAPANESE PORT, THE JAPANESE AUTHORITIES WILL DO THEIR DUTY AND PERMIT THE REFUGEES TO LAND, BUT THAT THEY ARE DETERMINED NOT TO GIVE AN UNDERTAKING UNTIL THEY HAVE TO,
AND THAT THE MINISTRY HAS SOME GENUINE DIFFICULTIES IN DEALING
WITH THE OTHER JAPANESE AUTHORITIES CONCERNED.
2.
WATANABE ASKED FOR CLARIFICATION ON A NUMBER OF POINTS, BUT THE FORMAL ISSUE BOILED DOWN TO ONE, NAMELY THAT THEY WOULD
LIKE TO HAVE ON PAPER FROM US OR DIRECTLY FROM THE UNHCR
"A CLARIFICATION OF THE LATTER'S VIEWS AND POSITION ON THE
CASE.
THERE IS NO DOUBT AN ELEMENT OF FACE-SAVING IN THIS, AND IT IS
A VERY TEDIOUS REQUEST, BUT I SAW NO HOPE OF PROGRESS BY ANY OTHER MEANS. SO I UNDERTOOK TO PUT IT TO THE DEPARTMENT.
3. THE REQUEST IS CLEARLY LINKED WITH A SUSPICION THAT WHAT WAS
SAID BY THE UNHCR REPRESENTATIVE MAY HAVE BEEN TO SOME EXTENT INSTRUMENTAL IN CAUSING THE REFUGEE PARTY TO STICK TO THEIR
REFUSAL TO DISEMBARK IN CHINA, IT WAS LINKED ALSO WITH PERSISTENT
QUESTIONS ABOUT THE ATTITUDE OF THE US AUTHORITIES TO FIRST ASYLUM
REFUGEES IN CHINA,
4. WATANABE ASKED FOR SEPARATE CLARIFICATION OF THE US POSITION, BUT ACCEPTED EVENTUALLY THAT THIS COULD BE COVERED IN THE STATEMENT FROM THE UNNCR. I SAID THAT THE ATTITUDE OF THE
US GOVERNMENT WAS IRRELEVANT SO LONG AS THE REFUGEES REFUSED TO
LAND.
CONFIDENTIAL
15.
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