A B767 CAPT REFUSED TO FLY AN ACFT WITH AN INOP APU ON AN OCEANIC FLT. THE ACR MADE THE APU AVAILABLE IN FLT IF NEEDED.

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I ARRIVED AT THE ACFT TO FIND THE APU PLACARDED INOP UNDER MEL 49-1A. ALL 3 PLTS WERE UNCOMFORTABLE WITH A TRANSATLANTIC XING WITH AN INOP APU ON THIS DAY; SO I REQUESTED VIA DISPATCH TO HAVE THE APU REPAIRED PRIOR TO DEP. OVER THE NEXT HR I WAS CALLED TO ZZZZ OPS 3 TIMES TO ANSWER A VARIETY OF PHONE CALLS FROM ACR MGMNT PERSONNEL THAT INCLUDED OPS AND A CHIEF PLT. MY IMPRESSION WAS THAT I WAS BEING PRESSURED TO GO WITH THE APU INOP BASED SOLELY ON THE FACT THAT THE MEL ALLOWED IT. 'IT'S BEEN DONE BEFORE' WAS ONE STATEMENT THAT WAS MADE DURING ONE OF THESE PHONE CALLS. IT WAS IMPRESSED UPON ME THAT NO ALTERNATIVE ACFT WERE AVAILABLE AND THAT THE ONLY OPTION WAS TO CANCEL THE FLT. AFTER ABOUT AN HR; THE ABOVE MENTIONED PERSONNEL WERE ABLE TO ASCERTAIN THAT THE APU WAS IN FACT OPERATIVE AND IT WAS THE APU DOOR THAT WAS FAULTY. AN ADJUSTMENT TO THE LOGBOOK WAS MADE BY USING MEL 49-2C WHICH BASICALLY STATES THAT THE APU DOOR SHOULD BE FIXED IN THE OPEN POS FOR THE FLT AND THAT THE APU CAN BE USED ON THE GND OR IN FLT. MAINT ACTION TO COMPLY WITH MEL 49-2C; INCLUDING PAPERWORK; WAS LESS THAN 1 HR AND THE FLT LEFT ZZZZ LESS THAN 2 HRS LATE WITH; IN MY OPINION; A VITAL SAFETY ITEM CONSIDERING THE CONDITIONS. THE ACFT HAD FLOWN MULTIPLE LEGS IN THIS STATE (APU PLACARDED INOP) PRIOR TO ITS ARR IN ZZZZ; INCLUDING TRANSATLANTIC OPS. THE COST FOR COMPLIANCE; USING THE CORRECT MEL PROVISION; WAS 1 HR IN LABOR PLUS; ON THIS 8 HR FLT; AN EXTRA 3000-4000 LBS IN FUEL. ARE WE USING THE MEL PROVISIONS TO SAVE FUEL AT THE EXPENSE OF COMMON SENSE AND SOUND JUDGEMENT NOW? WHY SHOULD I BE FEARFUL EACH TIME I GO TO WORK OF 'BEHIND THE SCENES' MAINT PRACTICES SUCH AS THESE? I WISH TO BE INFORMED OF ACR'S REMEDY TO CORRECT THIS BLATANT MISUSE OF THE MEL BEFORE I CONSIDER FURTHER ACTION.