GRS 300
CONFIDENTIAL
FM HONG KONG
TO HIMMEDIATE FCO
TELNO 2516
Confidential
OF 051002Z AUGUST 86
21
TOP COPY Q DIST ?
AND TO HIMMEDIATE CANBERRA, UKMNS GENEVA, HANOM, BANGKOK, KUALA LUMPUR
MAPT: WETNAMESE REFUGEES.
FOLLOWING HIS TEXT OF AUSTRAL MAN GOVERNMENT'S VIEWS ON MERCY SHIPS:
OPEN QUOTES. OVERALL, AUSTRALIA REGARDS MERCY SHIP OPERATHONS AS A COMPLICATION AND UNHELPFUL DEVELOPMENT WHICH HINDERS THE WINTER- NATMONAL COMMUNITY'S CAPACITY TO RESPOND TO THE PROBLEMS OF CLANDESTINE OUTFLOWS FROM WHETNAM.
OUR POSITION IS AS FOLLOWS: AUSTRALIA S PARTICULARLY CONCERNED THAT MERCY SHIP EXPEDITIONS IN THE SOUTH CHINA SEA ACT AS A PULL FACTOR ENCOURAGING CLANDESTINE DEPARTURES FROM VIETNAM. SUCH DEPARTURES ARE OFTEN UNDERTAKEN WITH MINIMAL PREPARATION 'N UNSEA- WORTHY BOATS MIN CONDITIONS OF GRAVE RISK AND FREQUENTLY FATAL RESULTS. OF SPECIAL CONCERN IN THAIS REGARD MS THAT SAMLING AND OTHER DETAILS OF MERCY SHIP OPERATIONS HAVE BEEN THE SUBJECT OF VIETNAMESE LANGUAGE SHORTWAVE BROADCASTS TO VIETNAM THEREBY GIVING CLEAR ENCOURAGEMENT TO THOSE CONTEMPLATING HILLEGAL DEPARTURE. AUSTRALIMA WILL NOT PROVIDE ANY ASSISTANCE FOR MERCY SHIP ACTIVITIES, ENITHER DIRECT OR MINDRECT. WE WILL NOT PROVIDE GUARANTEES OF
RESETTLEMENT FOR PEOPLE RESCUED BY MERCY SHIPS NOR WILL WE ACCEPT
SUCH PERSONS UNDER OUR REFUGEES OR SHP PROGRAMMES. PERSONS RESCUED
BY MERCY SHIPS WHO HAVE RELATIINES IN AUSTRALHA CAN BE CONSIDERED
FOR ENTRY ONLY UNDER FAMILY REUNION MIGRATION PROVISIONS. WE DO
NOT CONSIDER THAT MERCY SHIPS ARE A HELPFUL MEANS OF ADDRESSING
THE PROBLEMS SURROUNDING RESCUE OF VIETNAMESE IN DISTRESS AT SEA.
(MN OUR VIEW, EFFORTS SHOULD BE CONCENTRATED ON SYSTEMATIC H«NIIT-
HATINES TO IMPROVE RESCUE RATES AND ENCOURAGE SHIPS MASTERS TO
ADHERE TO THEIR RESPONSIBILITIES UNDER THE LAW OF THE SEA, SUCH
AS UNHCR INFORMATION DISSEMINATION ACTIVITIES AND SCHEMES SUCH AS
RASRO (RESCUE AT SEA RESETTLEMENT OFFERS). CLOSE QUOTATION MARKS.
AKERS-JONES
HMLNAN
0010
LIMITED
3/11
HKK 24-3/11
RECEIVET. REGISTRY
2 7 AUG 1986
FRI-R
HKD SEAD UND бро MR WILSON
Confidential
[REPEATED AS REQUESTEDI
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