B/LPS
1225
(Copied to Ps/om tuber)
A
Attached
Mr Murray
нии
28/1:
HKK243/1
HOUSE OF COMMONS DEBATE ON VIETNAMESE REFUGEES
Problem
1.
During the debate in the House of Commons on 24 May on,
по
Sir P Bryan's Private Notice Question about Vietnamese refugees, 7
Mr Peter Tapsell MP (Conservative Horncastle) asked the
Lord Privy Seal whether the Hong Kong Government had the necessary
powers to prosecute captains of ships trafficking in Vietnamese
refugees and to confiscate the ships. The Lord Privy Seal under-
took to look into this and into the question of the role of middle-
men in organising refugee rackets (Hansard Vol 967 No 12 Col 1230).
Recommendation
2.
see 1235
I recommend that the Lord Privy Seal write to Mr Tapsell
on the lines of the attached draft. SEAD agree.
B
7
'
Background
3.
The legislation introduced by the Hong Kong Government to
deal with masters and owners of ships involved in the refugee
racket is described in the draft letter to Mr Tapsell.
4.
There is evidence to suggest that many of the syndicates
involved in the refugee rackets operate from or have links with
Hong Kong. This has led some people, notably in the US Administration,
to question why the Hong Kong Government do not take firmer action
against the middlemen.
This point was made during Mr Blaker's
meeting with Mr Warren Christopher on 29 May and has been echoed
several times since then.
/5.