TNAG-0896-FCO40-1106-Refugees-from-Vietnam-in-Hong-Kong-Vietnamese-boat-people-1979 — Page 82

Mr Murray

UNCLASSIFIED

A21243/1

RELAVED IN 45

2 8 AUG 1979

OFFICES

INDB

NG 51

STRY Likón

1613)

2418

Mr Qrqutrill

Initiann

23.8

cc: Mr Simons

Mr Samuel FED Mr Morgan UND Mr Williamson HKC

J28.8.

£

Hem 2019

MV RUDD BANK: JAPANESE RESPONSE

1. Mr Kitajima (Japanese Embassy) telephoned at 1100 hours and read to me an informal translation of instructions which had just been received from Tokyo in response to your request to Mr Kadota on Monday 20 August. He explained that Mr Kadota was not available this morning, and he did not therefore know whether he would wish to call on you later today to transmit the message formally.

2. Mr Kitajima's dictated translation reads as follows:

"The Japanese Government finds it difficult to accept the British request concerning the temporary landing of the refugees concerned, for the following

reasons:-

(i) Temporary landing is to accord temporary landing for the very safety of the sufferers who have been rescued, and it is improper that the refugees should have rejected landing although China itself, as the first asylum country, admitted their landing;

(ii) While it is said that many of the refugees used, to work for the South Vietnamese Military Forces, it cannot be thought that China would deal with these refugees in any harsh manner;

(iii) While these refugees may point out the US legislation that the US does not admit China is a first asylum country as the very reason for rejecting landing, thinking that landing in China would make permanent resettlement in the United States impossible, the Japanese side is not aware of such US policies and cannot be convinced of such policies."

UNCLASSIFIED

13. Mr Kitajima