IMMEDIATE CYPHER CAT/-
GRS 200
FM HONG KONG 050045Z
CONFIDENTIAL
ÇONFIDENTTAVED IN
REGISTRY, No. 50
- 5 MAY 1975
HKIL 18/21
35
OP COP?
TO IMMEDIATE F C O TELEGRAM NUMBER 432 OF 5 MAY INFO IMMEDIATE WASHINGTON, PRIORITY OTTAWA AND COPENHAGEN, ROUTINE PEKING AND
MANILA.
LART
REF
MY TELEGRAM NO 426 OF 2 MAY.
NEXI
REF.
24 38
APPROXIMATELY 4,500 REFUGEES FROM SOUTH VIETNAM (OF WHOM ABOUT HALF ARE MEN AND REMAINDER WOMEN AND CHILDREN) ARRIVED IN HONG KONG AT 1930 HOURS ON SUNDAY 4 MAY ABOARD A DANISH CARGO VESSEL, THE CLARA MAERSK.
2. H.M.S. CHICHESTER MET THE CLARA MAERSK AT 0400 ON 4 MAY AND PUT MEDICAL TEAMS AND SUPPLIES ON BOARD. TWO CASUALITIES REQUIRING URGENT TREATMENT WERE EVACUATED BY HELICOPTER.
3. ON ARRIVAL THE CLARA MAERSK WAS BERTHED AT THE KWAI CHUNG CONTAINER TERMINAL AND ALL THE REFUGEES WERE DISEMBARKED UNDER CLOSE SUPERVISION. ABOUT EIGHTY WHO REQUIRED MEDICAL ATTENTION WERE SENT IMMEDIATELY TO THE BRITISH MILITARY HOSPITAL. ALL THE REMAINDER WERE TAKEN BY BUS TO THE PRINCESS MARGARET HOSPITAL (NOT YET COMMISSIONED) WHERE THEY WERE FED, MEDICALLY EXAMINED AND SCREENED BY THE IMMIGRATION DEPARTMENT BEFORE BEING TAKEN TO FOUR ARMY CAMPS IN THE NEW TERRITORIES WHICH HAD BEEN PREPARED FOR THEIR RECEPTION. TWO CAMPS ARE BEING RUN BY THE CIVIL AID SERVICES AND TWO BY THE ARMY.
4. I WILL TELEGRAPH SEPARATELY REGARDING NEXT STAGE.
[COPIES SENT TO NO.10 DOWNING ST]
MACLEHOSE
FILES: HKIOD (4)
PS
SEAD
PS/MR. ENNALS
NAD
FED
NEWS D
NVD
DEF D CONS D
CONS EM UNIT
PS/LORD GORONWY ROBEKTS
PS/MR. HATTERSLEY
PS/MISS LESTOR
MR. WILFORD
MR. EDMONDS
MR. MALE
MR. LARMOUR MR. HAWLEY
COPIES TO:
MK. BLANK, DS 11, MOD MK.A.F. WADE, HOME OFFICE
STR D. WATSON
CONFIDENTIAL