TNAG-0897-FCO40-1107-Refugees-from-Vietnam-in-Hong-Kong-Vietnamese-boat-people-1979 — Page 76

2. IN REPLY CONSUL STRESSED THE PERSONAL INTEREST OF THE PRIME MINISTER IN THE ROACHBANK CASE LAST JUNE (YOUR TELNO 77 OF 21 JUNE AND OTHERS REFER). HE MADE THE POINTS SET CUT IN YOUR TELNO 140 AND POINTED OUT THAT THE PRESENT CASE WAS NOT COMPARABLE WITH THAT OF THE FRENCH. HE GAVE THE GUARANTEE THAT REFUGEES WITH BRITISH LINKS WOULD BE ACCEPTED AND RE INDED KI

OF THE PROBLEMS IN HONG KONG AND OF TGC HELP WE HAD GIVEN TO

REFUGEES FROM MANY COUNTRIES.

3. KIM THEN SAID THAT THE MFA UNDERSTOOD OUR POSITION BUT HAD

DIFFICULTY DEALING WITH THE MINISTRY OF JUSTICE, WHICH HAD A MORE INSULAR VIEWPOINT. HE REPEATED HIS REQUEST FOR AN UNDER-

TAKING TO ACCEPT ALL THE REFUGEES AND ASKED CONSUL TO REFER IT

TO LONDON, CONSUL UNDERTOOK TO SEEK INSTRUCTIONS AND CLOSED BY

ASKING THAT HIS NOTE VERBALE WITH THE POINTS FROM YOUR TELEGRAM

SHOULD BE PASSED TO THE MINISTRY OF JUSTICE FOR IMMEDIATE

CONSIDERATION. HE ALSO POINTED OUT THE NEED TO MOVE QUICKLY

FOR THE REFUGEES' SAKE AND HINTED AT THE BAD PUBLICITY WHICH THE

ROK MIGHT REAP. QUESTIONS WERE ALREADY BEING ASKED BY INTERNATIONAL

NEWS AGENCIES.

4. THERE SEEMS LITTLE DOUBT THAT THE MEA ARE SYMPATHETIC TO THE

REFUGEES AND AWARE OF KOREA'S RESPONSIBILITIES. UNFORTUNATELY,

AS WE HAVE SEEN IN MANY CASES, THEY HAVE LITTLE INFLUENCE ON

OTHER, LARGER MINISTRIES WHICH TAKE A NARROW AND SELF-INTERESTED

VIEW. IT WOULD BE HELPFUL IF WE COULD BE AUTHORISED TO SAY THAT

THE SECRETARY OF STATE IS PERSONALLY INTERESTED, YOU WILL

ALSO WISH TO CONSIDER SPEAKING TO THE KOREAN AMBASSADOR IN LONDON. THE ROK HAS HAD A GOOD DEAL OF HELP FROM HMG AT THE UN AND ELSE-

WHERE. IT MAY BE SALUTARY TO POINT CUT THAT REFUSAL TO ALLOW

THE REFUGEES ASHORE COULD DAMAGE THE RELATIONSHIP.

5. THE US EMBASSY HAVE CONFIRMED THAT THE CAMP AT BUSAN IS SMALL

AND BADLY CROWDED. IT WOULD BE VERY DIFFICULT TO FIT MORE REFUGEES

lil. THE PRESENT OCCUPANTS ARE MOSTLY AT THE BOTTOM OF THE SOCIAL

SCALE FARMERS AND FISHERMEN WITH NO FOREIGN LINKS. THEY FACE

A LONG WAIT IN THE ASIAN QUEUE BEFORE THEY CAN HOPE FOR THE OFFER

OF RESETTLEMENT. BUT ACCOMMODATION IS A MATTER FOR THE ROK TO

SOLVE,

6. ON RECEIPT OF YOUR INSTRUCTIONS 1 OR THE AMBASSADOR WHO

RETURNS THIS WEEKEND, WILL SEE THE MEA AT THE HIGHEST POSSIBLE LEVEL.

YOU WILL NO DOUBT CLARIFY THE IMPLICATIONS OF THE BERMUDA FLAC (PARA 2 OF YOUR TELNO 151) IN YOUR REPLY

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