CONFIDENTIAL
रा
CRS 600
PRIORITY
CYPHER CAT/A
FM HONG KONG 120742Z
CONFIDENTIAL
REGMINY No. 5.
12 JULISTO
~KK243/5v8/1
TO PRIORITY F C O TELEGRAM NO 699 OF 12 JULY
(19)
123
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INFO PRIORITY RANGOON, ROUTINE HANOI, TOKYO, PEKING AND VIENTIANE (PLEASE PASS CONFIRMATION COPY SAVING HANO1)
YOUR TELEGRAM NO 539: THE 'AVA' CASE.
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WHEN BURMESE CONSUL-GENERAL FIRST SAW DIRECTOR OF IMMIGRATION (PARAGRAPH 3 OF HONG KONG TELEGRAM NO 693 TO YOU) SUGGESTION IN PARAGRAPH 2 OF TELEGRAM UNDER REFERENCE WAS PUT TO HIM AND HE SUBSEQUENTLY MET STEWART, REGIONAL REPRESENTATIVE OF ICE M ON 10 JULY. STEWART LATER REPORTED TO DIRECTOR OF IMMIGRATION THAT
CONSUL-GENERAL HAD LET DROP A REMARK THAT HIS GOVERNMENT WOULD
NEVER ALLOW THE VIETNAMESE TO SET FOOT IN CURMA, STEWART, HOWEVER,
TOLD CONSUL-GENERAL THAT HE WOULD REPORT BY TELEGRAM TO HIS
HEADQUARTERS IN GENEVA,
2. ON 10 JULY, DIRECTOR OF IMMIGRATION ISSUED A PUBLIC STATEMENT
THAT IT WAS HIS UNDERSTANDING THAT THE OWNERS OF THE 'AVA WERE
TAKING NO (REPEAT NO) STEPS TO RESOLVE THE QUESTION OF THE 99
VIETNAMESE ABOARD THE VESSEL, WHICH WAS STILL LYING ABOUT 20
MILES TO THE SOUTH-EAST OF HONG KONG. IN THE CIRCUMSTANCES, THE DIRECTOR OF IMMIGRATION WISHED TO REPEAT THAT HONG KONG WAS UNABLE TO ACCEPT RESPONSIBILITY FOR THESE PEOPLE. HE ADDED THAT
RESPONSIBILITY FOR THEM RESTED WITH THE MASTER WHO HAD NOW BEEN
FORMALLY TOLD THAT IF HE BROUGHT THE VESSEL INTO HONG KONG WATERS
THE DIRECTOR WOULD REFUSE PERMISSION TO LAND TO THE 99 VIETNAMESE
ON BOARD AND WOULD NOT GIVE IMMIGRATION CLEARANCE TO THE VESSEL WHILE IT REMAINED IN FORT. HL POINTED OUT THAT THIS MEANT THAT
THE VESSEL WOULD BE UNABLE TO UNLOAD AND LOAD CARGO AND THAT
FURTHERMORE, UNDER THE IMMIGRATION ORDINANCE, THE DIRECTOR OF IMMIGRATION WOULD FORMALLY DECLARE THE MASTER TO BE RESPONSIBLE FOR REMOVING THESE 99 PEOPLE FROM HONG KONG ON THE M.V. "AVA'.
CONFIDENTIAL
3. WE DEIROTOR
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