TNAG-0897-FCO40-1107-Refugees-from-Vietnam-in-Hong-Kong-Vietnamese-boat-people-1979 — Page 25

MA)

GR 150

CONFIDENTIAL

FM SEOUL 288309ZJAEP 79

TO IMMEDIATE FCO

CONFIDENTIAL

TELEGRAM NUMBER 213 OF 23 SEPTEMBER

INFO PRIORITY UKMIS GENEVA

HONG KONG (GOVERNOR)

HKK 243

RECENSE A

MIDEX

MY TELNO 211 (NOT TO HONG KONG): MY JALARTC: VIETNAMESE REFUGEES.

8 OCT 979

FZEA

P.A.

1. THE REFUGEES WERE ALLOWED ASHORE AT 10AM TODAY AND HAVE BEEN TAKEN TO THE CAMP AT BUSAN. UNDP ARE SATISFIED THAT THE CAMP WILL NOT BE UNACCEPTABLY CROWDED.

2. A PRESS RELEASE BY THE MFA PUBLISHED TODAY SAYS THAT QUOTE THOUGH THE NATION'S CAPACITY TO ACCEPT THE REFUGEES WAS LIMITED, THE NATION HAS RESOLVED TO ACCEPT THEM FOR HUMANITARIAN REASONS AND THE AMICABLE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN BRITAIN AND KOREA UNQUOTE.

3 SOME PRESS REPORTS ALSO QUOTE THE MFA AS SAYING THAT HMG WILL ALLOW DISEMBARKATION OF VIETNAMESE REFUGEES ENTERING HONG KONG PORT ABOARD ANY VESSELS OF KOREAN REGISTRATION. 1 MADE IT QUITE CLEAR IN MY DISCUSSION WITH VICE MINISTER RHEE ON

26 SEPTEMBER THAT REFUGEES WOULD CONTINUE TO BE ALLOWED ASHORE IN HONG KONG PROVIDED HONG KONG WAS THE FIRST SCHEDULED PORT OF CALL OF THE VESSEL CONCERNED. IT IS QUITE POSSIBLE THAT THE PRESS HAVE SIMPLY GOT THIS WRONG BUT TO AVOID ANY CHANCE OF A MIS- UNDERSTANDING I SHOULD RESTATE OUR POLICY TO THE MFA IN WRITING. AS THIS POINT WAS NOT SPECIFICALLY COVERED IN YOUR INSTRUCTIONS 1 SHALL BE GRATEFUL FOR OF OUR POLICY

BATES

FILES

SEAD

ADDIKIONAL DISTRIBUTION

BOAT PEOPLE

FK & GD

UND

TED

EID

PUSD

OID

IPD

NEWS D

PS

PS/LES.

PS/R BLAKER

PO/PUS

SIR A DUFF

MR CORTASZI

HR MURRAY

HR STRATTON

IOND NG LEVNOX

CONFIDENTIAL