TNAG-0897-FCO40-1107-Refugees-from-Vietnam-in-Hong-Kong-Vietnamese-boat-people-1979 — Page 66

CONFIDENTIAL

CONFIDENTIAL

HANGI 240330Z SEP 79

TO ROUTINE FCO

TELNO 250 OF 24 SEPTEMBER

INFO ROUTINE HONG KONG (FOR BRIDGE,

HKK 243i RECEIVED IN REGATAY NO. 51 26 SEP 1979

DESK OFFICIN

I'M INDEX TON PA

AND BANGKOK (FOR COLESHILL)

FOR SEAD

HO CHI MINH CITY STAFF

1.

INTERNATIONAL RED CROSS REPRESENTATIVE, RUFFINEN, SAW OFFICIALS (TUYON AND TAM) IN CONSULAR DEPARTMENT OF EXTERNAL AFFAIRS OFFICE IN HO CHI MINH CITY ON 12 SEPTEMBER AND TOUCHED GENTLY ON PROBLEM OF EXIT VISAS FOR MAIDEEN'S STAFF. HE WAS ASSURED THAT DELAY WAS NORMAL BUREAUCRATIC ONE AND THAT STAFF AND FAMILIES WOULD BE ISSUED VISAS IN DUE COURSE. IT WAS EVEN

SUGGESTED THAT THEY WOULD BE ABLE TO LEAVE BY END OF OCTOBER. WHETHER BY COINCIDENCE OR NOT, ALL MEMBERS OF STAFF WERE CALLED FOR INTERVIEWS (FOR WHICH THEY HAVE BEEN WAITING FOR MONTHS) DURING SUBSEQUENT TWO DAYS. RUFFINEN

SAID THIS HAD GREATLY STRENGTHENED THEIR MORALE. STAFF ASSURED RUFFINEN THAT THEY WERE ALL WELL AND HAD NO MATERIAL PROBLEMS. I HOPE FELL WILL ALSO HAVE SEEN THEM WHEN HE VISITED HO CHI MINH CITY LAST WEEK EN ROUTE HOME,

PLEASE PASS ALL ABOVE TO MAIDEEN AND SAY THAT

I WILL TRY TO GET TO MO CHI MINH CITY IN SECOND HALF OF OCTOBER. IN VIEW OF RUFFINEN'S ENCOURAGING REPORT I CONSIDER WE SHOULD DO NOTHING FURTHER UNTIL THEN.

3. 1 AN REPEATING TELEGRAM TO BANGKOK AND HONG KONG AS I AM UNSURE OF MAIDEEN'S WHERS ABOUTS,

VARGETSONN

FILES

SEAD HKDGD PS D

FINANCED

UND

MRSTRATTON MRMURRAY

CONZDENTIAL

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