GRS 700
FIDENTIAL
CONFIDENTIAL
FIF HONG KONG 081110Z JAN 79
TO PRIORITY F C O
TELEGRAM NUMBER 55 OF 8 JANUARY
INFO PRIORITY UKMIS GENEVA, WASHINGTON
INFO SAVING HANOI.
E)
MY TELNO 54: HUEY FONG.
See (66
HKK 243 II
RECEIVED IT RECSTAY NO. 51
- 9 JAN 1979
DESK OF INDEX
No
ali
RE
@ction
56
FOLLOWING IS TEXT TRANSLATED FROM THE ORIGINAL FRENCH OF A LETTER
DELIVERED YESTERDAY FROM THE HUEY FONG TO THE LOCAL REPRESENTATIVE
OF THE UNHCR :
BEGINS.
HEAD OF MISSION,
WE HAVE THE HONOUR TO INFORM YOU THAT DURING THE AFTERNOON OF 5 JANUARY 1979, WE GAVE THE REFUGEES ON BOARD THE ''HUEY FONG'' AN HONEST AND FULL REPORT OF THE WHOLE MEETING THAT
FONG’’ WE HAD WITH YOU ON THE MORNING OF THE SAME DAY. WE HAVE ALSO CIRCULATED THE CONTENTS OF YOUR LETTER RE-AFFIRMING THAT THE HIGH COMMISSION FOR REFUGEES WILL TAKE UNDER ITS CHARGE THE REFUGEES ON BOARD THE 'HUEY FONG'' EVEN IF THEY SHOULD PROCEED
TO TAIWAN.
AFTER LENGTHY DISCUSSIONS AND CAREFUL REFLECTION, ALL THE REFUGEES HAVE UNANIMOUSLY ADOPTED THE FOLLOWING PROPOSALS WHICH THEY HAVE
THE HONOUR TO CONVEY TO YOU :
1. AS REFUGEES, IT IS THEIR DUTY TO SUBMIT UNRESERVEDLY TO ALL
THE ARRANGEMENTS THAT THE HIGH COMMISSION FOR REFUGEES COULD MAKE ON THEIR BEHALF. THE MINISTRY OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS OF THE REPUBLIC OF CHINA APPEARS TO HAVE DECLARED, HOWEVER, THAT THE REFUGEES ON BOARD THE 'HUEY FONG'' WILL NOT BE AUTHORISED TO DISEMBARK IN TAIWAN. A MESSAGE RECEIVED BY THE SS HUEY FONG** MENTIONS, FURTHERMORE, THAT THE GOVERNMENT OF HONG KONG WILL ALREADY HAVE BEEN INFORMED OFFICIALLY OF THIS DECISION. IN THESE CONDITIONS, TO LEAVE HONG KONG IN THE DIRECTION OF TAIWAN WOULD ONLY NEED- LESSLY INCREASE THEIR SUFFERINGS AND EVEN LOSSES IN HUMAN LIVES.
CONFIDENTIAL
2. THE REFUGEES ON