"
See 42
39
GR 295
CONFIDENTIAL
FM HONG KONG 051101Z JAN 79
CONFIDENTIAL
TO IMMEDIATE FOREIGN AND COMMONWEALTH OFFICE
TELNO.38 OF 5 JANUARY,
INFO IMMEDIATE: UKMIS GENEVA, WASHINGTON,
MKK 243/1
RECEIVED IN REGISTRY A. 51
8 JAN 1979
DESK OF CER
INDEX
No
RES
Action
on
(PA
PRIORITY : PEKING, CANBERRA, MANILA, KUALA LUMPUR, SINGAPORE,
BANGKOK, MODUK, H.K.GOVERNMENT OFFICE LONDON.
INFO SAVING : HANOI.
'HUEY FONG': SITREP AS AT 051000Z.
1.
SHIP STILL AT ANCHOR.
2.
A FOUR-HOUR MEETING TOOK PLACE ON BOARD HMS WASPERTON THIS AFTERNOON BETWEEN MR RASANAYAGAM, THE UNHCR REPRESENTATIVE IN HONG KONG AND THE MASTER OF THE HUEY FONG ACCOMPANIED BY TWO
REPRESENTATIVES OF THE REFUGEES. WE SHALL REPORT DETAILS OF THIS SEPARATELY.
3. DRY RATIONS FOR THREE MORE DAYS, BABY FOOD FOR FIVE DAYS AND
A QUANTITY OF WARM CLOTHING WERE SUPPLIED BY HELICOPTER.
4. CONSIDERABLE PRESS AND MEDIA INTEREST HAS CONTINUED. THE FAR
EAST ECONOMIC REVIEW HAS PUBLISHED A MAJOR STORY ON REFUGEES FROM VIETNAM, A FULL SUMMARY OF WHICH WE SHALL TELEGRAPH SEPARATELY.
THE SOUTH CHINA MORNING POST FEATURES AN INTERVIEW WITH THE
VISITING M.P, MR JACK ASHLEY, IN WHICH HE PROPOSES THE FOLLOWING
FOUR POINT SCHEME:
(A) ALLOW THE HUEY FONG REFUGEES TO LAND ON THE UNDERSTANDING
THAT THEY AGREE TO GO TO COUNTRIES WHICH WILL TAKE THEM: (B) THE UNHCR SHOULD ASSUME THE FULL FINANCIAL AND MATERIAL
COSTS FOR THE TEMPORARY ARRANGEMENT:
CONFIDENTIAL
/(C) MEMBER