GR 475
RIORITY
YPHER CAT A
CONFIDENTIAL
HKK 243 RACOIVED IN REGISTRY/NO. 51
2 4 JUL 1978
FM HONG KONG 121000Z
DESK OFFICER
INDEX
PA
CONFIDENTIAL
REGISTRY Action Ten
TO PRIORITY F C O TELNO 873 OF 12 JULY 1978
Per
d
INFO UKMIS GENEVA, HANOI, WASHINGTON, KUALA LUMPUR, PEKING,
HONG KONG GOVERNMENT OFFICE LONDON.
112
MY TELNO 838 (NOT TO ALL): REFUGEES FROM VIETNAM.
122
A FURTHER 339 REFUGEES FROM VIETNAM (266 ETHNIC CHINESE AND ALL
BUT ONE FAMILY OF THE REMAINDER WITH CHINESE RELATIVES) ARRIVED IN HONG KONG ON 9 JULY ON A TAIWANESE TRAWLER. THE VESSEL WAS 120 FEET LONG AND HAD CREW ACCOMMODATION AND LIFE-SAVING EQUIPMENT FOR 15. AS WITH THE EARLIER GROUP WE HAVE LANDED THEM ON HUMAN- ITARIAN GROUNDS UNDER THE USUAL UNHCR GUARANTEES.
?. WHEN INTERVIEWED MANY OF THE REFUGEES CLAIMED THAT, AFTER REFUSING THEM PERMISSION TO LEAVE FOR CHINA, VIETNAMESE SECURITY BUREAU OFFICIALS HAD ADVISED THEM TO GO TO TAIWAN AND HAD SAID THAT IF EACH FAMILY PAID BETWEEN 6 AND 10 TAELS OF GOLD EXIT ARRANGEMENTS COULD BE MADE, MANY (BUT NOT ALL) PAID UP. ON 5 JULY THEY WERE TAKEN UNDER ARMED ESCORT FROM DANANG TO THE OFF-SHORE
ISLAND OF CU LAO CHAM.
3. THE MASTER OF THE TAIWAN TRAWLER CLAIMS HE WAS INTERCEPTED BY
A VIETNAMESE FISHING BOAT CARRYING ARMED SOLDIERS IN THE SOUTH CHINA SEA ON 13 JUNE, HIS PARTNER VESSEL ESCAPED. HE WAS TAKEN TO DANANG WHERE SEVERAL TAIWAN FISHING VESSELS WERE ALREADY IN DETENTION. ON 5 JULY HE WAS ESCORTED TO CU LAO CHAM, REFUGEES WERE ASSEMBLED ON THE SHORE WHEN HE ARRIVED AND WERE FERRIED ABOARD THE TRAWLER BY SAMPAN. HE WAS THEN DIRECTED TO SAIL FOR TAIWAN OR HONG KONG AND WAS ESCORTED OUT OF VIETNAMESE WATERS.
4. WE ARE PARTICULARLY VULNERABLE TO THIS NEW VIETNAMESE PLOY FOR
GETTING RID (PROFITABLY) OF REFUGEES WHO ARE MOSTLY OF CHINESE ORIGIN, SINCE TAIWANESE VESSELS WILL GENERALLY HEAD FOR HONG KONG FURTHERMORE, IT IS ONLY A MATTER OF TIME BEFORE ONE OF THESE GROSSLY OVERLOADED VESSELS, FOUNDERS WITH SERIOUS LOSS OF LIFE.
5.
CONFIDENTIAL / WE ARE
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