CONFIDENTIAL #
15
By 17th January there was much speculation in the local Press that the ship was about to be allowed to enter harbour. On the evening of 18th January a Press release was issued describing briefly the meeting between the Master and the Deputy Secretary for Security which made it clear that the ship was likely to come in to Hong Kong waters. Comment in the local media did not welcome the Government's action in allowing the ship to enter harbour but, in general, accepted the inevitability of it.
CONCLUSIONS
Operational Conclusions
The
54.
The interception of the "Huey Fong" was possible only because the ship had made prior radio contact with Hong Kong. subsequent arrival of the "Sky Luck" has already shown that if a ship engaged on similar traffic chooses to arrive announced it is not necessarily possible to stop it before entering territorial waters. The surveillance capability of the RHKAAF Islander aircraft and the five R patrol craft provided a reasonable chance of being able to identify and intercept a vessel whose position, speed and course are knom: but if it nonetheless steamed on resolutely there is no legal means of physically stopping it on the high seas. Even inside Hong Kong waters there would be practical difficulties in stopping it. An urgent examination is being made of a permanent surveillance system of the sea approaches to Hong Kong. So long as the threat of more refugee ships arriving persists it will be necessary to carry out surveillance using such resources and intelligence as are available.
55.
Although the administrative problems of supplying food, water and medical assistance to a ship at a sheltered anchorage within Hong Kong waters would be much less than in the case of a ship lying off Po Toi, the chances of being able to make it sail would be negligible. In other words once such a ship succeeds in entering Hong Kong waters it is only a matter of time before those on board have to be brought ashore unless the ship should decide to sail of its own volition (which is unlikely) and the Administration turns a blind eye to the number of persons and conditions on board.
56.
The holding of the "Huey Fong" off Po Toi for four weeks and reprovisioning it throughout that period would not have been possible without the use of helicopters and a landing platform on the ship to move supplies and medical cases. It also required favourable weather which in the event persisted throughout the period. Had the weather deteriorated there would have been virtually overwhelming logistical and presentational arguments for allowing the ship to enter more sheltered waters which are only available within Hong Kong's boundaries, thus eliminating any prospect of being able to make the vessel sail.
CONFIDENTIAL ##