TNAG-0792-FCO40-996-Refugees-from-Vietnam-in-Hong-Kong-Vietnamese-boat-people-1978 — Page 264

CONFIDENTAL

GR 355

CY

BOTAME

R/CAT A

FM HONG KONG 051909Z

Dee

(122

CONFIDENTIAL

TO IMMEDIATE F.C.O TELNO.833 OF 5 JULY 78,

Ат

Љи Неброи

112

HKK 243/1.

RECEIVED IN REGSTRY'NO. 51

6 JUL 1978

DESK OFF,

INDEX

H

P

RY

Action Teken

CLE

INFO IMMEDIATE HONG KONG GOVERNMENT OFFICE LONDON,

PRIORITY UKMIS GENEVA,

M

OUR TELNO.830 REFUGEES FROM VIETNAM.

1. THERE WAS MORE TO OUR PROBLEM WITH THE 135 REFUGEES BROUGHT

IN BY TWO TAIWANESE FISHING JUNKS THAN APPEARED IN THE STATEMENT

IN TEL UNDER REF.

2. ACCORDING TO THE REFUGEES THEY HAD PAID GOLD TO VIETNAMESE

SECURITY FORCES WHO HAD THEN TAKEN THEM TO AN OFFSHORE ISLAND, THE MASTERS OF THE JUNKS CLAIMED THAT (AFTER BEING DETAINED FOR 22 DAYS) THEY HAD BEEN ESCORTED TO THE ¡SLAND BY VIETNAMESE PATROL BOATS AND ORDERED TO TAKE THE REFUGEES TO

HONG KONG THEY ALSO SAID OTHER TAIWANESE JUNKS WERE BEING DETAINED IN VIETNAM, WE ARE TRYING TO CHECK THESE STORIES,

7

3. WE INITIALLY PROVIDED THE JUNKS WITH SUFFICIENT FOOD AND OIL FOR THEIR ONWARD JOURNEY. THE MASTERS WERE WILLING TO SAIL BUT WHEN THEY STARTED TO LEAVE THE REFUGEES THREW PROVISIONS

OVERBOARD AND AFTER A SHORT SCUFFLE FORCED THE MASTERS TO DROP

ANCHOR. NO ONE WAS INJURED AND IT IS NOT PROPOSED TO CHARGE

ANYONE AS A RESULT OF THE INCIDENT. THE REFUGEES SAID THEY WOULD BE WILLING TO GO TO TAIWAN ON A LARGER VESSEL OR BY AIR, FROVIDED UNHCR COULD GUARANTEE THAT THEY WOULD BE PROCESSED FOR RESETTLEMENT IN THE U.S. THEY WOULD HAVE HAD NO PROBLEM IN APPLYING FOR RESETTLEMENT FROM TAIWAN (ALTHOUGH NOT THROUGH

UNHCR): HOWEVER, THERE WERE OBVIOUS POLITICAL OBJECTIONS TO TRYING TO ARRANGE ONWARD TRAVEL TO TAIWAN BY OTHER MEANS.

IN THE CCIRCCUMSTANCES AND ON HUMANITARIAN GROUNDS WE THEREFORE

LANDED ALL THE REFUGEES AGAINST THE USUAL UNHCR GUARANTEES.

/4, WITH THESE

CONFIDENTAL