GR 175
IMMEDIATE
EN CLAIR
FR HONG KONG 041180Z
Sea 112
UNCLASSIFIED
TO IMMEDIATE F C O TELNC 830 OF 4 JULY 1978
HKK 243/1
RECEIVED IN REGISTRY NO. 51 - 5 JUL 1978
DESK OFFICER
INDEX
REGISTRY
PA Action
No 16
INFO IMMEDIATE HONG KONG GOVERNMENT OFFICE LONDON
PRIORITY UKMIS GENEVA.
REFUGEES FROM VIETNAM.
THE FOLLOWING STATEMENT FROM IMMIGRATION DEPARTMENT WAS ISSUED
ON THE EVENING OF 4 JULY:
TWO FISHING VESSELS FROM TAIWAN ARRIVED IN HONG KONG WATERS ON 3 JULY WITH 135 REFUGEES FROM VIETNAM ON BOARD AND WERE INTERCEPTED BY MARINE POLICE. IN ACCORDANCE WITH NORMAL PRACTICE
REFUGEES ARE ONLY LANDED FROM VESSELS OTHER THAN THEIR OWN JUNKS
WHERE HONG KONG IS THE FIRST SCHEDULED PORT OF CALL. IN THIS CASE TI VESSELS WERE NOT DUE TO CALL AT HONG KONG, BUT WERE ALLOWED
TO ENTER TO TAKE ON SUPPLIES FOR THEIR ONWARD VOYAGE. SIX OF THE REFUGEES, WHO WERE SICK, AND FIFTEEN OF THEIR RELATIVES WERE ALLOWED TO LAND ON HUMANITARIAN GROUNDS. FURTHER INVESTIGATION
SHOWED THAT THE VESSELS WERE NOT EQUIPPED TO TAKE THE REFUGEES
TO THE NEXT PORT OF CALL. ALL THE REFUGEES HAVE, THEREFORE, BEEN
LANDED TEMPORARILY IN HONG KONG AGAINST THE USUAL UNDERTAKING
FROM THE UNITED NATIONS HIGH COMMISSION FOR REFUGEES TO PROVIDE
FOR THEIR ACCOMMODATION AND EVENTUAL RESETTLEMENT ELSEWHERE.
MACLEHOSE
FILES
SEAD
UND
NK & GD
FED
MVD
010
NEWS D
PS
PS/LORD GORONWY-ROBERTS PS/PUS
SIR A DUFF
MR CORTAZZI
MR MURRAY MR WEIR