TNAG-0495-FCO40-560-Deportation-of-foreign-nationals-from-Hong-Kong-1974 — Page 128

LAIORITY

CYPHER/CAT A

GPS 300

FM HONG KONG 050156Z

CONFIDENTIAL

CONFIDENTIAL

RECEIVED IN

REGISTRY No.51

S JUN 1974

14/5

HKK 37333

1974

25

TO PRIORITY FCO TELNO 603 OF 5 JUNE/INFO PRIORITY SAIGON ROUTINE

PEKING.

LAST

RET

NEXT

REF.

ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS FROM SOUTH VIETNAM. 26 27

AT ABOUT 2300 HOURS ON 2 JUNE A LOCALLY REGISTERED FISHING JUNK WAS INTERCEPTED IN COLONY WATERS OFF CHEUNG CHAU AND WAS FOUND TO HAVE ON BOARD 119 ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS (96 MEN, 17 WOMEN, 6 CHILDREN) ALL OF CHINESE DESCENT FROM SOUTH VIETNAM. THEY WERE SUBSEQUENTLY DETAINED. THE VAST MAJORITY WERE MALES WITHIN THE VIETNAMESE CONSCRIPTION AGE GROUP, WHO GAVE THEIR REASONS FOR COMING TO HONG KONG AS AVOIDANCE OF MILITARY DRAFTING. THE CREW ESCAPED

BUT ONE HAS SINCE BEEN ARRESTED.

2. INFORMATION SUBSEQUENTLY OBTAINED INDICATES THAT THIS WAS A WELL

ORGANISED ESCAPE BY A LOCAL SYNDICATE FOR A FEE OF HONG KONG

DOLLARS 720,000. THEY WERE ALL APPARENTLY RESIDENTS OF LUNG HOT

DISTRICT WHO ASSEMBLED NEAR BIEN HOA AIR BASE AND WERE LATER TAKEN

TO THE COAST AT LONG HUT ON 20 MAY, FROM THERE, THEY WERE FERRIED

DY A LOCAL FISHING CRAFT TO A COASTING VESSEL WAITING WELL OFF-SHORE.

3. THE COASTER ARRIVED OFF HONG KONG ON THE AFTERNOON OF 2 JUNE

WHERE, BY PRE-ARRANGEMENT, PASSENGERS WERE TRANSFERRED TO THE INTERCEPTED. JUNK, APPARENTLY SOUTH OF THE LEMA ISLANDS IN CHINESE TERRITORIAL WATERS, THE FREIGHTER, SINCE IDENTIFIED AS QUOTE GRAND ! UNQUOTE, APPROXIMATELY 1,000 TONS FLYING A PAMAMIAN FLAG, WAS LATER DETECTED IN HONG KONG HARBOUR AND IS BEING KEPT UNDER

GUARD. INVESTIGATIONG ARE PROCEEDING, AN ACCOUNT OF THE

INTERCEPTION HAS APPEARED IN THE PRESS,

4. DEPENDING ON THE OUTCOME OF THESE, WE ARE CONSIDERING ASKING

THE SOUTH VIETNAMESE CONSUL-GENERAL FOR ASSISTANCE IN REPATRIATING

THE WHOLE GROUP. DO YOU OR SAIGON HAVE ANY VIEWST

MACLENOSE

FILES:

FIKIOD

LEAD

FED

M & V D

NEWS D

DEQAD ADVISERS MR. MALE

CONFIDENTIAL