From:
PAR TIPPLE
CONFIDENTIAL
DE ENCE SECRETARIAT DIVISION 5 MINISTRY OF DEFENCE
Main Building Whitehall London SW1A 2HB Telephone 01-218 3087 (Direct Dialling)
(306).
Shokh plant pipes.legal 6/12-
01-218 9000
(Switchboard)
R JP Hoare
Hong Kong and General Department Foreign and Commonwealth Office LONDON
Dear Heave
Reply sent
Your reference
Our reference
D/DS5/5/4/1
Date
December 1982
HKK 243/1
174
213
VIETNAMESE REFUGEES
OPPOSED TOWING OF CRAFT
PPOSED
Ma
GBC0/1
(269)
1. In his minute of 11 August 1982 Amos of this Division sought your advice on the terms of a draft operational order prepared by the Royal Hong Kong Marine Police proposing that the RN Patrol Craft stationed in Hong Kong assist in operations to tow out of territorial waters vessels which the Hong Kong Government have refused the right of entry or staying in Hong Kong. In the light of the comments -contained in your letters of 24 September and 25 October and also-
SEGAR's letter of 29 October we have drafted a submission to Minister (Armed Forces) - Mr Blaker - seeking his agreement that the Royal 217 Navy should not be associated with any proposals by the Hong Kong
Government aimed at expelling Vietnamese refugees from Hong Kongwaters.
2. Before submitting to Minister(AF) I should be grateful for your advice and comments on the terms of the attached draft. In particular, I should welcome any comments/additions designed to strengthen the legal aspects of the Hong Kong Government's proposals. At the moment our objections to their contingency plan are primarily political and and it would therefore seem prudent to state what, if any, are our legal obligations in international law. It would also be useful if we could spell out our legal obligations to the Hong Kong Government. I have assumed that you would wish to consult your Ministers in parallel and also that you would wish to follow up the reply you received from the Secretary of Security in Hong Kong once the views of our respective Ministers are known.
Yours sincerely
Peut 4. Tistle
Ceber & this letter and attachment go Le Peter
こ
Cregory Hood (Selence dest) and Christopher Sogar (SED).
CONFIDENTIAL
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