TNAG-0898-FCO40-1108-Refugees-from-Vietnam-in-Hong-Kong-Vietnamese-boat-people-1979 — Page 223

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FM SEOUL 088617Z OCT 79

TO IMMEDIATE FCO

TELEGRAM NUMBER 221 OF 8 OCTOBER

INFO PRIORITY HONG KONG

MY TELMO 216: VIETNAMESE REFUGEES,

DESK OFFICE

PA

PAY

Seel 1759

1. THE MFA HAVE NOW SENT US A NOTE VERBALE WHICH SETS OUT THE ROK GOVERNMENT'S REASONS FOR GRANTING THE REFUGEES ON THE ALARIC TEMPORARY ASYLUM, NAMELY HUMANITARIAN CONSIDERATIONS AND THE

FRIENDLY RELATIONS BETWEEN OUR GOVERNMENTS. THE NOTE THEN CON-

TINUES AS FOLLOWS:

QUOTE IN THIS CONNECTION, THE MINISTRY HAS THE FURTHER HONOUR TO CONFIRM THAT HONG KONG GOVERNMENT AUTVMRITIES WOULD GRANT THE TEMPORARY LANDING PERMISSION IN FUTURE TO VIETNAMESE REFUGEES RESCUED BY THE SHIPS OF KOREAN FLAG OF WHICH FIRST SCHEDULED PORT OF CALL IS HONG KONG, AS STATED BY AMBASSADOR, HIS EXCELLENCY W S BATES DURING HIS CONVERSATION WITH ACTING FOREIGN MINISTER,

MOON YONG LEE ON 27TH SEPTEMBER, 1979, UNQUOTE.

2. IF, AS I HOPE, YOU AND THE GOVERNOR, HONG KONG, ARE PREPARED

IF NECESSARY TO MAKE AN EXCEPTION FOR A KOREAN VESSEL AS I REC- OMMENDED IN MY TUR, THERE IS NO NEED FOR US TO REPLY TO THE MEA'S NOTE IT WOULD STILL BE POSSIBLE, AFTER A DECENT INTERVAL, TO INFORM THE KOREANS THAT HONG KONG'S POLICY HAD CHANGED, WITH OUT GIVING A PRECISE DATE. I HAVE NO DOUBT, HOWEVER, THAT THE KOREANS WOULD STILL EXPECT RECIPROCAL TREATMENT.

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