CONFIDENTIAL
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CRS 300
CONFIDENTIAL
DESKBY 3001007
FM F C O 291830Z AUG 79
TO IMMEDIATE SINGAPORE
TELEGRAM NUMBER 202 OF 29 AUGUST
INFO PRIORITY HONG KONG ROUTINE UKMIS GENEVA.
VIETNAMESE REFUGEES: M V BRITISH RESOLUTION.
1. WE HAVE BEEN INFORMED BY THE OWNERS, BRITISH PETROLEUM, THAT ONE OF THEIR TANKERS, M V BRITISH RESOLUTION, 270,000 TONNES, G ROUTE FROM PANAMA TO SINGAPORE TO ENTER DRY-DOCK AT SAMBAWANG, HAS PICKED UP 34 REFUGEES IN A POSITION SOME 150 MILES SOUTH-EAST OF THE MEKONG DELTA, THE SHIP IS DUE AT
SINGAPORE ON FRIDAY 31 AUGUST AT 0900 LOCAL.
2. B P HAVE TOLD US THAT AT THE TIME OF RESCUE, THE TANKER WAS CLEANING ITS TANKS. THIS IS A SENSITIVE OPERATION, AND
THEY EXPECT THAT THE PRESENCE OF REFUGEES ON BOARD WILL HEAN
THAT THE NECESSARY WORK WILL NOT HAVE BEEN COMPLETED BY FRIDAY
MORNING. THE SHIP WILL NOT BE ALLOWED TO ENTER DRY-DOCK UNTIL
IT HAS BEEN. B P THEREFORE HOPE THAT IT WILL BE POSSIBLE TO
LAND THE REFUGEES ON FRIDAY MORNING SO THAT THEY CAN RETURN
BRIEFLY TO SEA TO COMPLETE THE NECESSARY WORK.
3. PLEASE APPROACH THE SINGAPORE AUTHORITIES AND ASK WHETHER
IN VIEW OF THE PARTICULAR DANGERS INVOLVED IN KEEPING THE
REFUGEES ON BOARD THE TANKER, THEY CAN AGREE TO ALLOW THEM TO
LAND ON ARRIVAL IN SINGAPORE. YOU SHOULD ADD THAT WE ARE WELL
AVARE OF THE SINGAPORE GOVERNMENT'S GENERAL POLICY ON THIS
QUESTION, BUT THAT WE HOPE THAT THE IMPROVEMENT IN THE SITUATION ACHIEVED BY THE GENEVA CONFERENCE MIGHT ALLOW THEM TO ACCEPT THAT
THE PRINCIPLE OF THE FIRST PORT OF CALL SHOULD APPLY, AS THEY
KNOW, WE ATTACH CONSIDERABLE IMPORTANCE TO RESTORING THE PRIMACY
OF THIS PRINCIPLE IN THE CASE OF REFUGEES RESCUED BY SHIPS.
CONFIDENTIAL
/4.JF,AS
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