TNAG-0897-FCO40-1107-Refugees-from-Vietnam-in-Hong-Kong-Vietnamese-boat-people-1979 — Page 171

GR 250

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OKYO 679805Z SEP 79

TO PRIORITY FCO

TELEGRAM NUMBER 493 OF 7 SEPTEMBER, 1979

HKK 243|1

...P.A

MY TELMO 487: MV RUDD BANK

1657

1%

1670

1. I SPOKE TO WATANABE, COUNSELLOR IN THE ASIAN AFFAIRS BUREAU OF THE JAPANESE MFA, ON 7 SEPTEMBER, TO CONFIRM THAT THE REFUGEES HAD INDEED BEEN PERMITTED TO LAND ON 6 SEPTEMBER. WATANABE SAID THAT THEY HAD HAD A PROBLEM OVER ACCOMMODATION, BUT THAT THIS HAD BEEN OVERCOME. I THOUGHT IT RIGHT TO EXPRESS SATISFACTION, ON A PERSONAL BASIS, THAT THE JAPANESE GOVERNMENT HAD BEEN ABLE TO DEAL WITH HE PROBLEM ON THE LINES

OF CUR REQUEST. WATANABE SAID THAT HE HOPED THERE WOULD NOT BE

FURTHER CASES IN WHICH REFUSEES DECLINED TO ACCEPT OFFERS OF ASYLUM IN PORTS OF CALL WHICH THEY REACHED BEFORE THE SHIPS IN WHICH THEY WERE CARRIED SAILED TO A JAPANESE PORT. HE SAID THAT

HE HAD HEARD THAT VICE PRESIDENT MONDALE WAS TO RAISE WITH THE

CHINESE ON HIS RECENT VISIT THE POSSIBILITY OF THEIR ESTABLISHING

A MAJOR FACILITY FOR REFUGEES. AVAITING RESETTLEMENT, BUT HE HAD

NOT HEARD THE RESULT OF ANY IDISCUSSION.

2. I DID NOT REPEAT NOT MENTION TO MR WATANABE THAT WE HAD SEEN

A LIST OF THE RUDD BANK'S REFUGEES OBTAINED BY THE HON BRITISH

CONSUL AT MOJI WHICH SHOWED THEIR DESIRED DESTINATION AS

BEING THE UK IN ALL CASES. I TAKE IT THAT THIS WILL BE DEALT WITH BY THE REPRESENTATIVE OF THE UNHCR. WATANABE DID CONFIRM

THAT THE UNHCR REPRESENTATIVE WAS AT WORK WITH THE JAPANESE AUTHORITIES, HE ALSO SAID THAT HE HAD HEARD THAT THERE WAS "'A BACKLASH'' IN THE UNITED STATES AGAINST THE RECEPTION OF

REFUGEES FROM VIETNAM.

GIFFARD

FILES

SEAD

PUSD

HK & GD

OID

PS/MR BLAKER PS/PUS

ADDITIONAL DISTRIBUTION BOAT PEOPLE

UND

IPD

MR MURRAY

FED

NEWS D

MR STRATTON

N AM D

SAD

MAED EID

MVD

PS PS/LPS

PS/MR HURD

LORD N G LENNOX

MR BULLARD

MR FRETWELL

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