GPS 440
CONFIDENTIAL
KBY 1812002 FCO
CONFIDENTIAL
FA HONG KONG 181134Z JAN 79
See (166) +167
DY
HKK 243/1-
19.JAN1979
PA
165
TO IMMEDIATE FOREIGN AND COMMONWEALTH OFFICE TELNO.128 OF 18 JANUARY,
INDEX
No
Thali CE
INFO IMMEDIATE: UKMIS GENEVA, WASHINGTON, CANBERRA, MANILA,
KUALA LUMPUR, SINGAPORE, BANGKOK, PEKING, MODUK, OTTAWA, HONG KONG GOVERNMENT OFFICE LONDON,
INFO SAVING: HANOI,
1.
164
MY TELNO,125 (NOTAL) : ''HUEY FONG''.
WE LAUNCHED WHAT WE HOPE WILL BE THE FINAL SCENE THIS AFTERNOON. THE MASTER OF THE HUEY FONG AND REFUGEE REPRESENTATIVES
WERE TOLD TO GO ON BOARD HMS WASPERTON. THE MASTER AND ONLY ONE REFUGEE (WHO INSISTED THAT HE WAS NOT A REPRESENTATIVE' AND WHO SPOKE OF FACTIONS AND SOME DISSENSION ON BOARD) CAME AND WERE SPOKEN TO BY THE DEPUTY SECRETARY FOR SECURITY (BARNES) AND THE CAPTAIN OF HMS WASPERTON (SHERCLIFFE)
A
2. BARNES SPOKE INITIALLY IN TERMS OF PARAS 1-4 OF M.L.FT.
THE MASTER THEN SAID THAT ALTHOUGH HE HIMSELF WAS PREPARED TO GO HE REPEATED MANY OF TO TAIWAN, THE REFUGEES WOULD NOT LET HIM. HIS PREVIOUS REMARKS ABOUT HIS FEAR OF BEING KILLED, OF HAVING PICKED UP REFUGEES AT SEA ETC. HE SAID THAT IF HE GOT NO ASSURANCE ABOUT TAIWAN'S READINESS TO ACCEPT THE SHIP HE WOULD STAY WHERE HE
WAS.
3. BARNES THEN SPOKE AS IN PARAS 5 AND 6 OF M.I.F.T. THE MESSAGE
TOCK SOME TIME TO GET THROUGH BUT EVENTUALLY THE REFUGEE ''REPRESENTATIVE' UNDERSTOOD WHAT WAS BEING SAID AND BECAME
''
ANIMATED. BY CONTRAST, THE MASTER BECAME INCREASINGLY DEPRESSED.
4. IN FURTHER CONVERSATION BARNES TOLD THE REFUGEE REPRESENTATIVE THAT, IF THE HUEY FONG CAME INTO HONG KONG, THOSE ON BOARD WOULD
BE PROCESSED BY IMMIGRATION DEPARTMENT, THEIR STATUS ESTABLISHED, AND, WHERE APPROPRIATE, THE UNHCR WOULD ENDEAVOUR TO MAKE
CONFIDENTIAL
ARRANGEMENTS