Hao
CONFIDENTIAL
530
ONFIDENTIAL
FM HONG KONG 160912Z MAR 79
TO IMMEDIATE TOKYO
TELNO,14 OF 16 MARCH.
MY TELNO.11 TO SINGAPORE, PARA.3: FOLLOWING REPEATS TEL UNDER REF:
HKK 243/1
1 6 MAR:979
491
WY
INDEX
ken
NO
Jso.3
1.
CONFIDENTIAL
FM HONG KONG 140924Z MAR 79
TO IMMEDIATE FOREIGN AND COMMONWEALTH OFFICE
TELNO.372 OF 14 MARCH
INFO IMMEDIATE SINGAPORE
PRIORITY MANILA, KUALA LUMPUR, BANGKOK, JAKARTA, WASHINGTON, H.K.GOVERNMENT OFFICE LONDON,
INFO SAVING HANOI AND CANBERRA.
POSSIBLE REFUGEE SHIP TOMI MARU 11"
1. WE HAVE JUST HAD INFORMATION FROM A RELIABLE SOURCE ABOUT PLANS FOR THE USE OF A FURTHER VESSEL TO PICK UP AND TRANSPORT
THE VESSEL, NOW REFUGEES FROM VIETNAM, PROBALY TO HONG KONG,
BELIEVED TO BE IN SINGAPORE, IS A JAPANESE REGISTERED TUG ''TOMI MARU 1'', 144 TONS GROSS, WHICH TOWS A BARGE, REGISTERED NUMBER YC3001. THE AGENTS IN SINGAPORE ARE JOHN ALVIN PTE LTD, 21ST FLOOR, INTERNATIONAL PLAZA, ANSON ROAD, SINGAPORE, WHO TOOK
OVER THE AGENCY FROM AGUILA ORIENTAL SHIPPING ON 14 FEBRUARY. THE NUMBER OF REFUGEES INVOLVED IS SAID TO BE UP TO 3,900.
(
BHC 2. WE SHOULD BE GRATEFUL IF, PROVIDED YOU SEE NO OBJECTION, SINGAPORE COULD CONFIRM THE PRESENCE OF THIS VESSEL IN SINGAPORE. IF SO AND PROVIDED THEY LEARN NOTHING WHICH WOULD CAST SERIOUS DOUBT ON THE REPORT WE HAVE HAD, WE SUGGEST THAT THEY SPEAK IN CONFIDENCE TO THE SINGAPORE AUTHORITIES, WITH A VIEW TO ACTION BEING
TAKEN BY THE LATTER SIMILAR TO THAT REPORTED IN PARA.4 OF SINGAPORE TELNO.5 TO HONG KONG OF 1 MARCH (REPEATED TO YOU AND OTHER INFORMATION ADDRESSEES). THIS WAS IN RESPECT OF THE LUCKY DRAGON AND CONTRIBUTED, WE BELIEVE, TO THE ABANDONMENT OF ANY PLANS WHICH THE OWNERS OF THAT SHIP MIGHT HAVE HAD TO USE IT FOR REFUGEE TRAFFIC.
CONFIDENTIAL
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