GR 510
CONFIDENTIAL
FM HONG KONG 230919Z DEC 78
'INDEX
No
TO IMMEDIATE FOREIGN AND COMMONWEALTH OFFICE NO
TELNO.1480 OF 23 DECEMBER,
CONFIDENTIAL
HKK 243/1
(372)
RECEIVED IN REGSRY NO. 51 29 DEC 1978
DSK O
R
•RY
CLE
INFO SAVING : HANOI.
INFO IMMEDIATE: UKMIS GENEVA, WASHINGTON,
PRIORITY : PEKING, CANBERRA, MANILA, KUALA LUMPUR, SINGAPORE,
BANGKOK, HONG KONG GOVERNMENT OFFICE LONDON,
See 374
(379) +
394
369
1.
MY TELNO.1478: "HUEY FONG'
THE HUEY FONG ARRIVED OFF HONG KONG AT 1P30 THIS MORNING. THE MASTER DISREGARDED A SERIES OF MESSAGES TELLING HIM THAT, SINCE HONG KONG IS NOT THE SHIP'S FIRST PORT OF CALL, HE SHOULD PROCEED TO HIS ORIGINAL DESTINATION. HE ALSO DISREGARDED REQUESTS
FOR SPECIFIC INFORMATION ABOUT THE SHIP'S NEEDS FOR MEDICAL AND
50 OTHER SUPPLIES. THE SHIP WAS INTERCEPTED BY HMS WASPERTON, MILES SOUTH WEST OF HONG KONG, AT ABOUT MIDNIGHT LAST NIGHT, BUT THEIR EFFORTS TO DISUADE THE SHIP FROM COMING ON WERE UNSUCCESSFUL THE HUEY FONG IS NOW ANCHORED SOUTH OF PO TOI ISLAND CLOSE TO,
HMS WASPERTON AND BUT OUTSIDE, HONG KONG'S SQUARE BOUNDARY. POLICE LAUNCHES ARE STANDING BY.
2.
AFTER A SERIES OF UNSUCCESSFUL ATTEMPTS TO CONTACT THE MASTER BY RADIO AND LOUD HAILER THIS MORNING THE MASTER AND A REPRESENTATIVE WERE BROUGHT TO THE WASPERTON, ON BEING QUESTIONED
THE MASTER CLAIMED THAT THE REFUGEES HAD BEEN PICKED UP FROM NINE SMALL BOATS. HE SAID THEY ALL WANTED TO COME TO HONG KONG
AND THEN GO ON TO THE UNITED STATES. HE FEARED THEY WOULD KILL HIM AND THOSE ON THE BRIDGE IF HE TRIED TO GO TO TAIWAN. OF THE. REFUGEES, 20 OLD PEOPLE HAD HIGH FEVERS AND STOMACH TROUBLE, 1 HAD A BROKEN JAW AND 2 WERE SUFFERING FROM SEVERE VOMITING. ONE GIRL OF 12 HAD DIED (BEFORE THE SHIP FIRST CONTACTED HONG KONG ACCORDING TO EARLIER MESSAGES) AND 1 PERSON HAD JUMPED OVER THE SIDE. THE MASTER SAID HE HAD ENOUGH WATER FOR TWO DAYS BUT WAS
SHORT OF FOOD.
13.
OUR.
CONFIDENTIAL