Mr Murpay
CONFIDENTIAL
COVERING SECRET
3528
HKK 243/1
243/11/0
RECEIVED IN RECNÍKY NO. 5Y 26 JAN19/9
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Private Secretary
VIETNAMESE REFUGEES: LETTER FROM MR JACK ASHLEY MP
1.
Mr Jack Ashley called on the Secretary of State yesterday
on board the Huey to discuss his letter of 15 January, about the Vietnamese refugees. Fong Mr Ashley subsequently made an unsuccessful attempt to persuade the Speaker to allow an emergency debate in the House of Commons. I understand that the Secretary of State now wishes to send a written reply to the points made in Mr Ashley's letter, and has said he would like to do so today.
2.
There have been further developments since my minute of
16 January. The Hong Kong authorities today informed the master of the Huey Fong that they were not prepared to allow the situation to remain unresolved and would not continue to re-provision the ship indefinitely. The master was told that he should continue his voyage to Taiwan; if he decided instead to enter Hong Kong waters he would not be prevented from doing so, but he would be subject to Hong Kong law and might be liable to prosecution. A representative of the refugees was told at the same time that if the Huey Fong came into Hong Kong those on board would be processed by the Immigration Department and, where appropriate, the UNHCR would try to arrange
for their resettlement.
3.
The naval and police vessels which had been standing by the Huey Fong ever since its arrival have now been withdrawn from the immediate vicinity of the ship. The next move is up to the master. We have not yet heard what he has decided to do.
4.
We have seen a report from HM Ambassador in Hanoi which suggests that the firmness displayed by the Hong Kong and Philippines authorities with regard to the Huey Fong and the Tung An may have caused the Vietnamese authorities to suspend their policy of encouraging refugees to leave for neighbouring countries in large boat loads (Hanoi telegram No 29). Mr Margetson has also reported that the Vietnamese are thought to be preparing to send a ship with 10,000 (repeat, 10,000) refugees to Honolulu. (Hanoi telegram No 30)
5.
I submit a draft reply to Mr Ashley. We should know
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