Gr. 225
CONFIDENTIAL
CONFIDENTIAL
FM HONG KONG 170740Z JUL 25
TO PRIORITY MANJI
TELEGRAM NUMBER 45 OF 17 JULY
Ito Walker
Pa 243/5
Great minds
258
Hunk alike
са
CEC.
INFO ROUTINE HONG KONG GOVERNMENT OFFICE LONDON, FOO, UKMIS GENEVA,
HKGO BRUSSELS (JONES), HKGO NEW YORK (DORWARD), HKGO WASHINGTON (LO), HKGO GENEVA (FOR THE ATTENTION OF CARTLAND)
VIETNAMESE REFUGEES: RUSSIAN SHIP RESCUE CASES.
1. WIRE SERVICES REPORT THAT A GROUP OF VIETNAMESE REFUGEES
PICKED UP BY A SOVIET VESSEL IN THE SOUTH CHINA SEA OFF THE PHILIPPINES IN MID-JUNE WERE TAKEN BACK TO VIETNAM. A SPOKESMAN FOR THE UNITED NATIONS HIGH COMMISSIONER FOR REFUGEES SAID IN GENEVA ON 12 JULY THAT ALTHOUGH TWO COUNTRIES HAD OFFERED TO TAKE THE 37 VIETNAMESE REFUGEES, THEY HAD BEEN RETURNED TO VIETNAM.
2. IN A SEPARATE REPORT, REFUGEES WHO HAD BEEN PICKED UP BY THE FRENCH MERCY SHIP, JEAN CHARCOT SAID THAT WHEREAS THEY KNEW THAT THEY HAD TO LOOK OUT FOR THE BIG WHITE SHIP THEIR GREATEST WORRY AFTER PIRATES, WAS THAT THEY WOULD BE PICKED UP BY A RUSSIAN SHIP WHICH WOULD SEND THEM BACK TO VIETNAM.
3. WE WOULD BE GRATEFUL FOR ANY INFORMATION YOU CAN PROVIDE ABOUT THE SCALE OF REPATRIATION OF REFUGEES BY RUSSIAN SHIPS. WE WOULD ALSO BE GRATEFUL FOR ANY INFORMATION ABOUT THE CIRCUMSTANCES WHICH FOLLOW THEIR RETURN. WE REALISE THAT SUCH INFORMATION WILL BE DIFFICULT TO OBTAIN, BUT WE WOULD BE GRATEFUL FOR ANYTHING YOU
CAN PROVIDE.
AKERS-JONES
BOAT PEOPLE
LIMITED
SEAD
HKD
UND
FED
NEWS D MAED PS
PS/LADY YOUNG PS/MR LUCE
PS/FUS
MR GOODALL
MR O'NEILL
MR WILSON
BIR W HARDING
ADDITIONAL DISTRIBUTION
BOAT PEOPLE
HKGO LONDON
CONFIDENTIAL
TAIS TELEGRAM
AS NOT ANANCED
HKK 243/5
RECEIVED IN REGISTRY
18 JUL 1985
DESK OFFICER
INDEX
PA
1537