GRS 340
NFIDENTIAL
DESKBY 1712ØØZ
CONFIDENTIAL
FM KUALA LUMPUR 170910Z NOVEMBER 78
TO IMMEDIATE FCO
TELEGRAM NUMBER 475 OF 17 NOVEMBER 1978 -
PA
296
See 3.02
RFI TO PRIORITY PARIS UKMIS GENEVA UKMIS NEW YORK SINGAPORE BANGKOK CANBERRA WASHINGTON HONG KONG (GOVERNOR) HANOI AND. PEKING
YOUR TELNO. 396
295
-VIETNAMESE REFUGEES: HAI HONG-
1.
HKK 243 RECEIVED IN REGISTKY KO. 51
2 0 NOV 1978
DESK OFFICER INDEX
PA
·ALG. RY
Action
CLE.
AT A FURTHER BRIEFING MEETING THIS MORNING SAMPATKUMAR INFORMED US THAT HE HAD AN APPOINTMENT WITH THE SECRETARY GENERAL, MINISTRY OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS, AND THAT HE WISHED TO BE ACCOMPANIED BY THOSE HEADS OF MISSION WHO COULD PROVIDE GUAR- ANTEES OF ACCEPTANCE. THE ONLY HEADS OF MISSION WITH INSTRUCTIONS
THE BELGIAN AND WERE THE AMERICAN, FRENCH AND CANADIAN.
GEE SAID THAT WE WOULD ASSOCIATE OURSELVES WITH A PLEA ON HUMANITARIAN GROUNDS.
2. WE HAVE NOT YET HEARD FROM UNHCR THE RESULT OF THE MEETING BUT THE INSPECTOR GENERAL OF POLICE TOLD ME INFORMALLY AT LUNCHTIME THAT THE OFFERS PROVIDED BY FRANCE, USA AND CANADA WERE SO HEDGED WITH CONDITIONS THAT THEY WERE OF LITTLE IMMEDIATE
ASSISTANCE
TO THE MALAYSIAN GOVERNMENT. ON PAST EXPERIENCE THE SCREENING PROCESS WAS LIKELY TO BE LENGTHY AND THEY WOULD STILL HAVE THE PROBLEM OF DISPOSAL OF THE RESIDUE. THEY THEREFORE STOOD FIRM BY THEIR RESOLUTION TO DRIVE THE HAI HONG OUT OF MALAYSIAN WATERS. THEY HAD NO OTHER OPTION. THE SHIP HAS BEEN TAKEN OVER BY THE REFUGEES, AND IS NO LONGER UNDER FULL CONTROL OF THE MASTER. THE IGP THEREFORE WAS REFUSING TO ALLOW ANYONE OTHER THAN HIMSELF TO BOARD THE HAI HONG AS HE BELIEVED THAT THE REFUGEES WOULD BE LIKELY IN THEIR PRESENT MOOD TO SEIZE THEM AS HOSTAGES. HE FEARED THAT THE AFFAIR COULD WELL PROVOKE BLOODSHED.
CONFIDENTIAL
/ 3. MEANWHILE.
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