TNAG-0897-FCO40-1107-Refugees-from-Vietnam-in-Hong-Kong-Vietnamese-boat-people-1979 — Page 266

CONFIDENTIAL

2.

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is not ready to enter dry dock on 8 September, before which

at least five more days' work needs to be done, the dry dock

booking will lapse, causing eight weeks' idleness. The

continued presence of the refugees on board beyond Sunday

at the latest will impose significant cost penalties on

British Petroleum, as well as, according to the advice which we have received, constitute a possible danger to the ship and crew, as well as to the refugees.

The timing of any announcement about a guarantee will need

to be judged in the light of developments concerning the

MV Rudd Bank, about which I have written to you separately It would of course be preferable if the Japanese could

agree to land the Rudd Bank refugees without a guarantee

before they learnt that we had given a guarantee to Singapore in a much less complex case.

I am copying this letter to Chilcot, Home Office, Wile,

Cabinet Office, Beckett Law Officers Department,

·

Harris, Department of Trade.

and