TNAG-0897-FCO40-1107-Refugees-from-Vietnam-in-Hong-Kong-Vietnamese-boat-people-1979 — Page 75

DVANCES: EOAT PEOPLE

I

13

PS

PS/LPS

PS/MR BLAKER

PS/PUS

HKK 24.3!

MR CORTAZZI

MR MURRAY

LORD NG LENNOX

HD/UND

DYAK & GD)

HD/NEWS D

HD/SEAD

RESIDED CLERK

NDEX

דיר

1707

PS/NO 10 DOWNING STREET

MR WADE, FS/HOME SECRETARY

RM 14 Q.A.G.

2

смилашкуй

•

Mr winama. Jn.)

GR687

CONFIDENTIAL

FM SEOUL 21971CZ SEP 79

TO IMMEDIATE FCO

TELEGRAM NUMBER 297 OF 21 SEPTEMBER

INFO PRIORITY HONG KONG

PRIORITY UKRIS GENEVA

YOUR TELS 149 AND 157

REFUGEES:

IMMEDIATE

A

ADVANCE COPY

ALARIC.

IMMEDIATE

(693)

KIM

1. CONSUL WAS CALLED TO THE MFA TODAY TO DISCUSS THE REFUGEES WITH THE HEAD OF THE CONSULAR DIVISION, TIM DONG JIN. SAID THAT THE GOVERNMENT OF THE ROK COULD NOT ALLOW THE REFUGEES

70 TO LAND. THE TRANSIT CAMP AT BUSAN COULD HOLD ONLY 190. REFUGEES WERE ALREADY THERE AND 43 HAD LANDED THE PREVIOUS DAY. THERE WAS NO MORE ROOM. THE MINISTRY OF JUSTICE, WHO ARE RESPON- SIBLE FOR IMMIGRATION QUESTIONS, HOPED THAT HNG WOULD GIVE AN UNDERTAKING TO TRANSFER ALL THE REFUGEES IMMEDIATELY TO THE UK, QUOTING AS A PRECEDENT A GROUP OF REFUGEES WHICH HAD ARRIVED ON A FRENCH SHIP EARLIER IN THE YEAR.

IN REPLY CONSUL STRESSED THE PERSONAL INTEREST OF THE PRIME MINISTER IN THE ROACHBARK CASE LAST JUNE (YOUR TELNO 77 OF 21 UNE AND OTHERS REFER). HE MADE THE POINTS SET OUT IN YOUR

MAS MOT. COMO AS

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