GF 323

CONFIDENTIAL

(c)

(a)

· 9 -

機密

land them temporarily and hand them over to UNHCR for maintenance and resettlement;

land them temporarily and house them in Government facilities;

(e)

*

land all of them for residence in Hong Kong those with relatives to

(f)

be cared for by them, the rest to be cared for by the Social Welfare Department;

land for residence those with relatives

in Hong Kong and land temporarily as in (c) or (d) the remainder.

The Policy Group agreed that no decision on the status of the refugees should be made until the ship had entered Hong Kong. However, from 9th January onwards planning proceeded on the assumption that the refugees would be taken to Gray Block when they had been processed and not put back on the ship, and on 12th January it was decided by the Policy Group that the refugees would be kept in detention, at least for some days, after they had been disembarked. Arrangements were made for the transit centre at Kai Tak to be gazetted as a place of detention under the Immigration Ordinance.

31.

The contingency plans for processing and disembarking the refugees were finalised on 17th January after the Policy Group had decided on the admittance scenario. An cutline of the final plan and its implementation during the period 19th 23rd January aré at Annex E.

THE GATHERING OF INTELLIGENCE ON THE SHIP'S VOYAGE

32.

Initial information from the "Hucy Fong" on the alleged circumstances under which she picked up the refugees on board was contained in the messages received from the ship on the 18th, 19th and 22nd December, 1978 which are included in Annex A. Further background information was obtained during the meeting between the C.0. of HMS Wasperton and the Master on 23rd December which is described at Appendix 1 to Annex B.

33.

When it began to seem likely that attempts to make the ship sail would be unsuccessful and that it would have to be admitted eventually, it was decided that all possible legal powers should be used against the Master, crew and refugees on board. Police enquiries were instituted with a view to obtaining facts on how the refugees came to be picked up and evidence which would be used against anyone involved in a conspiracy. The first part of this enquiry was an examination of the ship's log, followed by the interviewing of refugees who had been brought ashore to hospital.

CONFIDENTIAL

機密

Share This Page