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DESKBY 131288Z
FM HONG KONG 131040Z JAN 79
TO IMMEDIATE F C O
TELEGRAM NUMBER 96 OF 13 JANUARY
HKK 243/1
LIVED REGISTKY NO. 51
1N1979
VSK OF
NEX
REG, RY
Action
en
N.
+
INFO PRIORITY UKMIS GENEVA, WASHINGTON, HONG KONG GOVERNMENT
OFFICE LONDON.
114
MIPT: FOLLOWING IS TEXT OF LETTER REFERRED TO IN PARA 3 OF MIPT.
BEGINS :
THANK YOU FOR YOUR LETTER WHICH HAS JUST BEEN RECEIVED,
IT HAS BEEN SENT BY HELICOPTER TO THE HONG KONG GOVERNMENT WHICH
HAS NOW ASKED ME BY RADIO TO GIVE YOU THE FOLLOWING REPLY.
''IT IS NOT POSSIBLE FOR ANY OF THE REFUGEES ABOARD THE
HUEY FONG TO BE LANDED IN HONG KONG. THE SHIP IS IN INTERNATIONAL
WATERS AND ITS NEXT PORT OF CALL IS KAOHSIUNG. THERE ARE SUFFICIENT
SUPPLIES ON BOARD FOR THE SHIP TO PROCEED ON ITS VOYAGE AND, IF THE MASTER SO REQUESTS, THE SHIP WILL BE ESCORTED BY TWO NAVAL VESSELS.
I CAN, HOWEVER, ASSURE YOU THAT THERE WOULD BE NO DIFFICULTY IN MAKING ARRANGEMENTS FOR ANY REFUGEES ON BOARD THE HUEY FONG
OF ETHNIC VIETNAMESE ORIGIN BEING TRANSFERRED BY AIR TO HONG KONG
FOLLOWING THEIR LANDING AT KAOHSIUNG. IF THE AUTHORITIES IN TAIWAN
DO NOT ALLOW SUCH REFUGEES TO REMAIN TEMPORARILY IN TAIWAN
PENDING RESETTLEMENT OVERSEAS, THEIR RESETTLEMENT ARRANGEMENTS WILL BE MADE THROUGH THE HONG KONG OFFICE OF THE U.N. HIGH
COMMISSIONER FOR REFUGEES.
CONTINGENCY ARRANGEMENTS FOR THE TRANSFER OF THESE REFUGEES
TO HONG KONG HAVE ALREADY BEEN MADE WITH THE HONG KONG OFFICE OF
THE INTER-GOVERNMENTAL COMMITTEE FOR EUROPEAN MIGRATION (ICEM).
DESPITE ITS TITLE, THIS ORGANISATION HAS BEEN RESPONSIBLE FOR
NEARLY ALL THE TRANSFER ARRANGEMENTS MADE FOR BOAT REFUGEES FROM
VIETNAM WHEN THEY PROCEED TO THEIR FINAL RESETTLEMENT DESTINATION.
ICEM HAVE ALREADY MADE SIMILAR ARRANGEMENTS FOR REFUGEES TO BE
TAKEN DIRECTLY FROM TAIWAN BOTH TO HONG KONG AND, ON OCCASIONS,
COUNTRIES SUCH AS ISRAEL AND THE UNITED KINGDOM.
RESTRICTED
LI HAVE
TO
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