CONFIDENTIAL
GR 465
C CONFIDENTIAL
FM. HONG KONG 160350Z JUL 79
HKK 247
1396
TO PRIORITY FOREIGN AND COMMONWEALTH OFFICE NE
TELNO.1006 OF 16 JULY,
по
INFO PRIORITY: HANOI, SINGAPORE, WASHINGTON, UKMIS GENEVA.
VIETNAMESE REFUGEES : SUSPECT SHIPS - ''SEA VIEW''
pist N)
(1123) HKK 243/1 Pap
1. THIS SHIP WAS THE SUBJECT OF OUR TELNO.804 TO YOU. IT HAD LEFT HONG KONG FOR BANGKOK ON 7 MAY WITHOUT CARGO BUT DID NOT ARRIVE THERE. THE SHIP IS TAIWAN OWNED AND HAS A TAIWANESE CAPTAIN
AND CREW. IT IS REGISTERED IN PANAMA.
2. WE HAD RELIABLE INFORMATION THAT IT WAS LYING NEAR
peeninos
HO CHI MINH CITY PREPARATORY TO LOADING WITH UP TO 4,000 REFUGEES.
YOU PUT THE VIETNAMESE CHARGE ON NOTICE (FCO TELNO.113 TO HANOI AND HANOI TOOK PARALLEL ACTION (HANOI TELNO.188) ONLY TO BE TOLD THAT THERE WAS NO SUCH SHIP IN THE AREA.
1200
PART(0)
3. IN THE MEANTIME ACTION TAKEN HERE PROMPTED THE HONG KONG
AGENTS TO GIVE UP THE AGENCY.
4.
ON 13 JULY THE FORMER AGENTS RECEIVED A SIGNAL FROM THE ''SEA VIEW'' SAYING THAT IT HAD MADE A ''FORCED SAILING CARRYING NO CARGO. THE PORT OF DEPARTURE WAS NOT MENTIONED. IT ASKED FOR INSTRUCTIONS. THE FORMER AGENTS TOLD THE SHIP THAT THEY HAD GIVEN UP THE AGENCY AND THAT IT SHOULD CONTACT THE OWNERS DIRECT.
5. TODAY, IN RESPONSE TO A MARINE DEPARTMENT SIGNAL (WHICH ALSO WARNED THE SHIP THAT IT HAD NO PERMISSION TO ENTER HONG KONG), A SIGNAL HAS BEEN RECEIVED FROM IT, GIVING ITS POSITION ABOUT 400 MILES S.S.W OF HONG KONG. THE SIGNAL ALSO SAID THAT ITS LAST PORT WAS MUI VUNG TAU, THE SEAPORT FOR HO CHI MINH CITY.
6. WE DO NOT KNOW WHETHER IT IS IN FACT CARRYING REFUGEES, NOR
WHETHER IT IS BOUND FOR HONG KONG. BUT WE SHALL ASK FOR ITS
POSITION LATER TODAY AND BY EARLY ON 17 JULY WE SHOULD KNOW WHETHER IT IS ON A COURSE FOR HONG KONG OR TAIWAN. WE SHALL BE SENDING UP RECONNAISSANCE FLIGHTS IN ORDER TO WATCH IT. IF IT PLANS TO COME TO HONG KONG IT WOULD REACH HERE EARLY 20 JULY,
CONFIDENTIAL
1427A)
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