TNAG-0793-FCO40-997-Refugees-from-Vietnam-in-Hong-Kong-Vietnamese-boat-people-1978 — Page 138

GR 385

CONFIDENTIAL

FM HONG KONG 101137Z NOV 78

CONFIDENTIAL

287

(2

284

See 285 292

HRIS 243/1

TO IMMEDIATE FOREIGN AND COMMONWEALTH OFFICE TELNO.1301 OF 10 NOVEMBER,

RECEIVED REGISTRY NO. 51 14 NOV 1978

DESK OF INDEX

No!

REGISTRY ection TA MT

CLE

INFO IMMEDIATE: CANBERRA, WASHINGTON, UKMIS GENEVA, HANOI,

KUALA LUMPUR, HONG KONG GOVERNMENT OFFICE LONDON, PRIORITY : JAKARTA, BANGKOK, UKMIS NEW YORK, PEKING,

282

YOUR TELNO,849 (NOT TO ALL) VIETNAMESE REFUGEES.

:

1. FURTHER BACKGROUND TO THE "HI HONG'' REPORTED IN ''THE ASIAN WALL STREET JOURNAL IS IN M.1.F.T.

2. THE VESSEL IS NOT REPEAT NOT REGISTERED IN HONG KONG (PACE THE

AUSTRALIAN CLAIM IN CANBERRA TELNO.13 TO HONG KONG (NOT TO ALL)).

279

3. MORRIS, THE LOCAL UNHCR REPRESENTATIVE, SPOKE YESTERDAY TO WEI OF ROSEWELL AND CO., OF HONG KONG WHOM AUSTRALIANS HAD BEEN TOLD WERE THE OWNERS. WEI SAID THAT FOLLOWING A VISIT TO SINGAPORE IN OCTOBER. HE CONTRACTED TO BUY A VESSEL, WHICH HE NOW

BELIEVES MUST BE THE ''H! HONG** (HE SUPPLIED FULL TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS) FOR SINGAPORE DOLLARS 350,000. HE PAID A TEN PERCENT DEPOSIT, THE CHEQUE BEING MADE OUT TO VITAMEX OF SINGAPORE (HE WAS NOT CLEAR WHETHER THEY WERE AGENTS OR OWNERS

OF THE VESSEL). SINCE THE VESSEL HAS NOT ARRIVED WEI IS NOW TRYING TO GET HIS DEPOSIT BACK. HE SAYS HE IS NOT THE OWNER

OF THE VESSEL AT PRESENT.

4. WEI TOLD MORRIS:

(A) THAT HE PLANNED TO USE THE VESSEL FOR TRADING H.K-INDONESIA- SINGAPORE (NO MENTION OF IT BEING SOLD AS SCRAP AS IN ACCOUNT

IN M.I.F.T): AND

(B) THAT IT WAS TO BE REGISTERED UNDER LIBERIAN FLAG THROUGH

A LIBERIAN HOLDING COMPANY WHICH HE HAS HERE.

CONFIDENTIAL

/ BOTH