TNAG-0793-FCO40-997-Refugees-from-Vietnam-in-Hong-Kong-Vietnamese-boat-people-1978 — Page 127

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HKK 243/1

RECEIVED III REGISTZY NO. 51 17 NOV 1978

292

See 293

GPS 320

UNCLASSIFIED

FM KUALA LUMPUR 150845Z NOV 78

TO PRIORITY FCO

DESK OFFICER

REG HY

INDEX

PA

Action

er

No

TELEGRAM NUMBER 466 OF 15 NOVEMBER

INFO ROUTINE JAKARTA SINGAPORE BANGKOK CANBERRA WASHINGTON GOV HONG KONG

PEKING UKMIS NEW YORK

HANOI

284

HONG KONG TELS 1301 AND 1352

285

VIETNAMESE REFUGEES : QUOTE HAI HONG UNQUOTE

1. THE QUOTE HAI HONG UNQUOTE, HAS BEEN ANCHORED AT THE SOUTH CHANNEL OF PORT KLANG SINCE 10 NOVEMBER. THE PRESS REPORTS · THAT IT SOUGHT PILOT ASSISTANCE TO DOCK BUT MARINE POLICE AND TWO ROYAL MALAYSIAN NAVAL CRAFT HAVE BLOCKED ITS PASSAGE, AND ARE PREVENTING ANY OF THE ESTIMATED 2,500 VIETNAMESE ON BOARD FROM LEAVING.

2. THE MALAYSIAN AUTHORITIES HAVE SUPPLIED THE BOAT WITH FOOD, WATER, AND MEDICAL REQUISITES. REQUESTS FOR HOSPITAL TRATMENT BY SOME PASSENGERS WERE TURNED DOWN,

A DOCTOR VISITED THE VESSEL ALONG WITH SAMPATKUMAR, UNHCR, THERE ARE SAID TO BE 1,250 CHILDREN, 620 WOMEN, 499 MEN ON BOARD. CONDITIONS ARE SAID TO BE QUOTE SATISFACTORY CONSIDERING THE NUMBER OF PASSENGERS UNQUOTE.

3. LATEST REPORTS INDICATE THAT THE VESSEL'S INDONESIAN CAPTAIN SUSUN SRIGAR AND THE BROKER TAY KENG HONG, A SINGAPOREAN, ARE BEING DETAINED UNDER ARMED GUARD BY THE VIETNAMESE. THE MALAYSIAN AUTHORITIES HAVE ORDERED THE VESSEL OUT OF MALAYSIAN TERRITORIAL WATERS BUT IT HAS ALLEGEDLY BEEN UNABLE TO MOVE DUE TO ENGINE

FAILURE,

/4. GIVEN