TNAG-0793-FCO40-997-Refugees-from-Vietnam-in-Hong-Kong-Vietnamese-boat-people-1978 — Page 268

*

0153-201

CONFIDEN MAL

Page

314895

Classification

MARI

L

with boat that departed Quang Ngai. Some 240 refugees

were scheduled to depart, but when group met, there

were over 300 for same boat. Several hours out of

Quang Ngai, the pleaps broke down and boat turned back.

Since it appearol boat would not make port, it headed

istand. Before reaching island, boat

towards small island.

hit submerged rock and sank. 203 refugees managed

swim to island, but over 100 others drowned. Those

*

on island were later taken back to Quang Ngai, where

79 were given old boat and told to depart. They

objected, but had to leave and managed to reach Hong

Presumably the others remained in Quang Ngai

Kong.

for placement on other and subsequent departures.

**

4.

overcrowd

Overcrowded boa:s are typical of organized Sino-

Vietnamese departures. Quite often more refugees

appear for embarkation than planned for and food/water

supplies are not adequate. When boat is overcrowded,

pumps must work continually and run risk of breaking

down. We subsequently learned from Whipple refugees

that when boat first left Vung Tau, there were close

500 refugees on board and it appeared pumps would fail.

Boat turned back, and managed offload some seventy

refugees. As it was, boat was sinking when it was

CONFIDENTIAL

Classification

OPTIONAL FORM 153A (Formerly FS-413A)

January 1975 Dept. of State

!