TNAG-1917-FCO40-2721-Interdiction-of-Vietnamese-refugees-at-sea-1989 — Page 91

CONFIDENTIAL

Were

deprived of their liberty shall be treated with humanity and

with respect for the inherent dignity of the human person'.

either the RN or the HKG to be involved in the expulsion of refugees

it would be difficult to refute allegations that we were depriving

the refugees of their liberty and that, by returning them to sea,

albeit re-provisioned and in a vessel certified as ceaworthy, we

were treating them in an inhumane manner and without respect.

would be 9. In practical terms, although it technically feasible for

a A patrol cart to tow such vesscle to international waters,

unce the tow is released there is nothing to provont the refugees

scuttlin. their craft and so obliging the RV to conduct a rescue

Mation. Furthermore it is British custom and practice to

aum Posponsiblity to hand over refugees picked up at sea into

High the custody of either a lucralfate of the UN Commissioner for Refugees

for early resettlement. The holding of refugees on a

witish vensel (as proposed by the HKG (paragraph above)) would

therefore impose an obligation upon HMG to retain the refugees

until arrangemente were made for their resettlement.

10. Finally, Minister (AP) will recall the correspondence generated

2 years aro when the Sultan of Brunei expected to be able to call

on British loan service personnel to expel Vietnamese refugees from

Brunei waters. At that time, Er Blaker as the Foreign Office

Minister with responsibility for that region, wrote to the Sultan

that there would be no question of British Servicemen being used

to push refugees out to sea. The humanitarian assistance provided

by British troops was to be on the basis that such assistance would

be directed to getting the refugees ashore.

CONFIDENTIAL