GPS 650
PRIORITY
ENCLAIR
FM FCO 161845Z
UNCLASSIFIED
TO PRIORITY HONG KONG TELNO 558 OF 16 JULY
INFO WASHINGTON.
MIPT
THE ''AVA''
FOLLOWING IS TEXT OF WOLLACOTT'S ARTICLE,
TOP COP
19 JUL 1976
NKK 243/JXX
ات
A DISPUTE IS DEVELOPING HERE OVER THE FATE OF 99 VIETNAMESE REFUGEES WHO HAVE BEEN REFUSED PERMISSION TO LAND BY THE HONG KONG AUTHORITIES AND ARE WAITING ON BOARD A BURMESE SHIP 20 MILES OFFSHORE FOR SOME DECISION ON THEIR FUTURE.
2, THE GROUP WERE PICKED UP BY A SHIP, ON A NORMAL FREIGHT RUH TO JAPAN AND HONG KONG, FROM A SINKING VESSEL OFF VIETNAM AND BROUGHT TO HONG KONG LAST WEEKEND. BUT EVEN BEFORE THE SHIP ARRIVED, THE GOVERNMENT DECLARED THAT THE REFUGEES WOULD NOT BE ALLOWED TO LAND UNLESS THEY HAD RELATIVES HERE OR SOME OTHER CONNECTION WITH HONG KONG.
3. PREDICTABLY THEY HAD NOT, ALTHOUGH THREE WERE ALLOWED ASHORE BECAUSE THEY NEEDED MEDICAL TREATMENT, OFFICIALS FROM THE UNITED STATES CONSULATE WENT ON BOARD AND ESTABLISHED THAT NONE OF THE REFUGEES HAD RELATIVES IN THE US OR ANY OTHER SPECIAL CLAIM, SO THEY TOO WASHED THEIR HANDS OF THE MATTER,
4. THE MASTER OF THE SHIP, WHICH IS STATE-OWNED, KEPT HIS POSITION 20 MILES FROM THE HARBOUR WHILE THE HONG KONG AUTHORITIES
''NEGOTIATED'' WITH THE BURMESE CONSULATE HERE,
5. THEN YESTERDAY THE UNITED NATIONS HIGH COMMISSIONER FOR REFUGEES PERHAPS AT THE PROMPTING OF THE BURMESE GOVERNMENT
APPEALED TO HONG KONG TO PERMIT THE 99 TO ENTER THE COLONY TO AWAIT RESETTLEMENT, THE GOVERNMENT'S RESPONSE, AFTER PAINFUL THOUGHT, WAS TO ISSUE A STATEMENT WHICH SAID THAT HONG KONG WAS PREPARED TO ASSIST IN ARRANGING AN IMMEDIATE AIRLIFT OF
THE 99 TO RANGOON.
16.
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