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CONFIDENTIAL
CONFIDENTIAL
DESKBY 141300Z
FM HONG KONG 141240Z JAN 79
TO IMMEDIATE F C O
TELEGRAM NUMBER 97 OF 14 JANUARY
INFO IMMEDIATE UKMIS GENEVA, WASHINGTON
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LIVED IN REGISTRY 10. 51
INDEX
15 JANI979
INFO PRIORITY PEKING, CANBERRA, MANILA, KUALA LUMPUR, SINGAPORE BANGKOK, MODUK, HONG KONG GOVERNMENT OFFICE LONDON INFO SAVING HANOI.
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MY TELNO 95: HUEY FONG: MEETINGS ABOARD HMS WOLVERTON.
en
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1. THE TWO MEETINGS YESTERDAY ABOARD HMS WOLVERTON (REFTEL PARAS 2 - 4) LASTED SLIGHTLY OVER TWO HOURS. THE LETTER FROM THE REFUGEES WAS ADDRESSED TO THE GOVERNOR. ALTHOUGH IN VIETNAMESE IT WAS WRITTEN ON BEHALF OF ALL THE REFUGEES, NOT JUST THE ETHNIC
VIETNAMESE (REFTEL PARA 1). A COPY IN FRENCH WAS GIVEN TO RASANAYAGAM. THE LETTER ACKNOWLEDGED THE 'WHOLE-HEARTED ASSISTANCE" GIVEN BY MONG KONG, COMPLAINED ABOUT CONDITIONS ON BOARD AND MADE A RENEWED APPEAL TO BE LANDED. IT CONTAINED A THREAT TO JUMP INTO THE SEA''. (WE ASSESS THAT THE DANGER REMAINS SLIGHT AT PRESENT: NO-ONE HAS JUMPED OVERBOARD SINCE 3 JANUARY). A SPECIAL PLEA WAS MADE FOR CHILDREN TO BE LANDED.
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2. THE REFUGEES HAVE NOT TOLD THE PRESS ABOUT THE LETTER OR THE REPLY (MY TELNO 95 NOT TO ALL). THEIR REPRESENTATIVES SHOWED CONSIDERABLE INTEREST IN THE REPLY, ESPECIALLY POINTS CONCERNING
THE HELP ICEM COULD GIVE IF ETHNIC VIETNAMESE HAD TO BE TRANSFERRED TO HONG KONG. THEY SAID A REPLY WOULD BE GIVEN TO THE ACCOMPANYING NAVAL VESSEL AFTER FURTHER DISCUSSIONS AMONG
THE REFUGEES.
3. DURING HIS MEETING RASANAYAGAM SAID HE WOULD ANLAYSE THE PERSONAL
DETAILS SUPPLIED BY THE REFUGEES AND GIVE THME, ON A CONFIDENTIAL BASIS, TO LOCAL REPRESENTATIVES OF FOTENTIAL RESETTLEMENT COUNTRIES.
HE HOPED TO REPORT TO THE REPRESENTATIVES, POSSIBLY ON 16 JANUARY, ON THE RESETTLEMENT PROSPECTS IF THE SHIP WENT TO KAOHSIUNG. HE TOLD US THAT HE WENT FURTHER THAN AT HIS MEETING ON 11 JANUARY (MY TELNO 88) IN URGING THE REFUGEES TO PROCEED TO TAIWAN IN VIEW OF THE HONG KONG GOVERNMENT'S CONTINUED REFUSAL TO ALLOW ITS FIRST PORT OF CALL PRINCIPLE' TO BE BREACHED.
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THE