......NOW OFFICIALS OUTSIDE OF VIETNAM ARE CLAIMING THERE'S INCREASING EVIDENCE THAT VIETNAMESE OFFICIALS - AND PERHAPS THE HANOI GOVERNMENT ITSELF - ARE BEING PAID HANDSOMELY IN GOLD AND
DOLLARS FOR GRANTING CHINESE ''PERMISSION'' TO FLEE THE COUNTRY.
......ON OCTOBER 2......AS A VARIETY OF SOURCES TELL THE STORY.....THE AGEING COASTAL FREIGHTER WAS PURCHASED BY HONG KONG
INTERESTS SAID TO HAVE CONNECTIONS IN SINGAPORE, WHERE THE PURCHASE TOOK PLACE. THE VESSEL WAS SOLD FOR 115,000 DOLLARS BY GUAN GUAN SHIPPING, A COMPANY WITH OPERATIONS IN BOTH MALAYSIA AND SINGAPORE, GUAN GUAN HAD OPERATED THE PENANG-REGISTERED VESSEL UNDER THE NAME THE GOLDEN HILL.
NEW OWNERS OF THE VESSEL APPLIED TO THE PANAMIAN CONSULATE GENERAL AT SINGAPORE FOR A TEMPORARH, ONE-MONTH PANAMIAN REGISTRATION CERTIFICATE FOR A ONE-WAY TRIP TO HONG KONG TO SCRAP THE SHIP......na
THE CAPTAIN SAID THE H1 HONG HAD STRUCK ENGINE TROUBLE AND WHILE IDLE HAD BEEN BOARDED BY THE REFUGEES, WHO ARRIVED, HE SAID, IN 12 TO 15 SMALL BOATS. LATER, HOWEVER, THE HI HONG'S CAPTAIN TOLD A DIFFERENT STORY BY RADIO TO THE U.N OFFICIALS. HE SAID HE WAS SHELTERING HIS VESSEL FROM TYPHOON RITA IN A GROUP OF ISLANDS, MUCH FURTHER TO THE NORTH THAN HIS PREVIOUSLY MENTIONED LOCATION, WHEN THE REFUGEES ARRIVED.
REFUGEE AUTHORITIES ARE SCEPTICAL OF BOTH VERSIONS......
**WE NOW BELIEVE THE SHIP ANCHORED OF VUNG TAU ON OCT.24, AND THE PEOPLE WERE FERRIED OUT TO THE HI HONG IN SMALL BOATS' SAYS ONE SOURCE......
ACCORDING TO SOURCES FOLLOWING THE REFUGEE SITUATION, THE HI MONG AFFAIR IS THE SECOND MAJOR CASE WHERE COLLABORATION HAS
OCCURRED AMONG PRIVATE ENTREPRENEURS, VIETNAMESE OFFICIALS AND WOULD BE ''REFUGEES.'' THE FIRST......CAME WITH THE ARRIVAL IN INDONESIA IN SEPTEMBER OF A SHIP CALLED THE SCUTHERN CROSS.
...... AT LEAST ONE REPORT SUGGESTS THAT THE SOUTHERN CROSS ACTUALLY BERTHED AT VUNG TAU FOR A CONFERENCE AMONG THE SHIP'S OFFICERS AND VIETNAMESE PORT AUTHORITIES TO DECIDE PROCEDURES FOR LOADING THE SO-CALLED REFUGEES AND AGREE ON PAYMENTS TO BE MADE. OTHER SOURCES SUGGEST THERE IS EVIDENCE THAT VIETNAMESE POLITICAL OFFICERS MAY ESCORT THE REFUGEES TO SUCH VESSELS.
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́........HOWEVER,