TNAG-0898-FCO40-1108-Refugees-from-Vietnam-in-Hong-Kong-Vietnamese-boat-people-1979 — Page 134

Our reference: IMG/79 58/1026/199 Your reference:

CONFIDENTIAL

HOME OFFICE

Lunar House, Wellesley Road, CROYDON CR9 2BY

Telephone: 01-686 0333, ext. 2341

17864

Pl. convids, with SEVAD), what

response should be With letter.

cuade

RJT McLaren Esq

Hong Kong and General Department Foreign and Commonwealth Office

London SW1

Dear

r

た

VIETNAMESE REFUGEES

NWebb

-

18 October 1979

IC SETA),

г. наший

Sentra/io

it seems to me that a lot of time

is being wasted trying to decide how we should deal with a situation that

evey body agrees is unlikely to wise. Would you see if SEAD (and FED, rice Korea is involved) can agree to a reply inggesting that the problem be shelved until a case actually wise

I refer to Hong Kong telegram No 1400 of 9 October in which it is suggested that, as a quid pro quo for the Koreans' action in the ALARIC case, the United Kingdom might give a guarantee of ultimate resettlement should a Korean registered ship with refugees on board put into Hong Kong at some future date.

We would see difficulties in the United Kingdom giving a guarantee to accept Vietnamese refugees picked up by a Korean ship. As you know the UK position is to be that refugees picked up at sea should be accepted at least temporarily by the first port of call. Our interest is to minimise the responsibility of the flag-carrying state. We recognise that Hong Kong's interest is different and have to accept the presentational difficulties of arguing around the world for a principle which we do not insist on as regards Hong Kong. To go even further and give a guarantee to accept into the UK the refugees picked up by a foreign vessel which put into Hong Kong could give rise to difficulties here.

It would however be possible to point out that we are accepting large numbers of refugees from Hong Kong selected on the spot by a visiting selection team. If a Korean ship picked up refugees and offloaded them in Hong Kong those refugees would be eligible for consideration with other refugees for the quota for the United Kingdom.

Y STA-ch

гр

G L ANGEL