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CONFIDENTIAL
Mkic 341/2 нкіс
GR 220
CONFIDENTIAL
FM HONG KONG 191145Z JUN 81
TO IMMEDIATE F C O
TELEGRAM NUMBER 616 OF 19 JUNE
INFO IMMEDIATE PEKING
INFO PRIORITY UKMIS GENEVA, LISBON
MIPT: EX-CHINA VIETNAMESE REFUGEES
Mr
15
Я во злые
done!715.
Mis Hay. Please ing
COD
+
石
tell them that these two telegrams on'd
Vietnamese Refuges
have the
1. THESE WERE ETHNIC CHINESE REFUGEES PREVIOUSLY SETTLED IN CHINA. from China' WE DO NOT YET HAVE A FULL DEBRIEFING REPORT ON WHERE THEY WERE FROM Distribution OR WHETHER THIS WAS A BOAT FROM A GROUP SEEN TWO DAYS AGO UNDER
TOW BY A MACAU POLICE LAUNCH AND WHICH LATER APPEARED TO BE
MISSING.
2. THE TINY ISLAND LIES 3 AND A HALF MILES S.W. OF LANTAO ISLAND,
UNINHABITED AND SHELTERLESS. WE TOLD THE NCNA AND SUGGESTED A CHINESE PATROL BOAT BE ALERTED: BUT ADDED THAT IF THIS PROVED DIFFICULT WE WOULD BE WILLING TO RESCUE, IF SO REQUESTED. HOWEVER,
WE COULD ONLY DO SO IF THERE WAS AN ASSURANCE THAT THE PEOPLE, WHEREVER THEY WERE FROM, WOULD BE TAKEN BACK AS SOON AS WE COULD GET THEM TO THE LAND BORDER.
3. AT MIDNIGHT NONA TOLD US THE GUANGDONG GOVERNMENT HOPED WE COULD RESCUE AND AGREED TO ACCEPT BACK TODAY IF THEY WERE ILLEGAL
IMMIGRANTS OR VIETNAMESE REFUGEES PREVIOUSLY SETTLED IN CHINA: BUT NOT IF THEY WERE DIRECT FROM VIETNAM. BECAUSE OF DANGERS TO THOSE SHIPWRECKED WE DID NOT AT THE TIME DEBATE WITH NONA THE OBLIGATIONS OF STATES TO THOSE FOUND IN DISTRESS ON THEIR ISLANDS. WE WERE ALSO CONFIDENT THAT THESE WERE EX-CHINA VRS AND WERE ANXIOUS TO ESTABLISH A PRECEDENT (IN UNUSUAL CIRCUMSTANCES) FOR THE QUICK RETURN OF SUCH PEOPLE TO CHINA, FOR THE REASONS GIVEN IN MY TELNO
608.
MACLEHOSE
(34x
Mas
19
6
BOAT PEOPLE LIMITED
SEAD
HK & GD
UND
PS
FED
PS/LPS
ECD
PUSD
ADDITIONAL DISTRIBUTION
BOAT PEOPLE
COPIES TO:-
MR RUSHFORD
LEGAL ADVISER
INFORMATION D
NEWS D MAED
PS/MR RIDLEY PS/PUS
SIR A ACLAND
MR DONALD
LORD NG LENNOX
CONFIDENTIAL
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