TNAG-0897-FCO40-1107-Refugees-from-Vietnam-in-Hong-Kong-Vietnamese-boat-people-1979 — Page 269

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GRS 125 A

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FI COPENHAGEN 291258Z AUG 79

TO IMMEDIATE FCO

TELEGRAM NUMBER 154 OF 29 AUGUST

HKK 243

1635

43/1 PA

Aw

29/9

世

INFO IMMEDIATE HONG KONG, PRIORITY WASHINGTON, UKNIS GENEVA, ROUTINE HONG KONG GOVERNMENT OFFICE, LONDON

HONG KONG TEL NO 1219: VIETNAMESE REFUGEES:

ANNA MAERSK'

634

(1637)

1. THE MFA ARE INSTRUCTING THE DANISH CONSUL GENERAL TO RECALL TO THE HONG KONG AUTHORITIES THE DANISH PROMISE, MADE MOST LATELY AT THE GENEVA CONFERENCE, THAT REFUGEES PICKED UP BY VESSELS

UNDER THE DANISH FLAG WILL BE RESETTLED IN DENMARK IF OTHER ARRANGEMENTS CANNOT BE MADE BY THE UNHCR. THIS PARTICULAR CASE -

HAS ALREADY BEEN PUT TO MINISTER LISE CESTERGAARD WHO HAS

CONFIRMED THAT THE DANISH GOVERNMENT WILL STAND BY THEIR PROMISE,

2. THE MFA EXPRESSED TO US THE HOPE THAT IN THE LIGHT OF THIS THE HONG KONG AUTHORITIES MAY BE PREPARED TEMPORARILY TO ACCEPT THE REFUGEES WHILE MATTERS ARE SORTED OUT WITH THE UNHCR, WHOM THE DANES ARE URGENTLY TRYING TO CONTACT. WE SAID WE COULD OFFER NO

COMMENT BUT WOULD REPORT.

WARBURTON

FILES

SEAD

HK & GD

PS

UND

FED

WED

N AM D

MAED

EID

PUSD

OID

IPD

NEWS D MVD

PS/LPS PS/MR HURD PS/MR BLAKER

PS/PUS

SIR A DUFF

MR CORTAZZI

MR MURRAY MR STRATTON

LORD NG LENNOX

MR FERGUSSON

ADDITIONAL DISTRIBUTION

BOAT PEOPLE

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