TNAG-0794-FCO40-998-Refugees-from-Vietnam-in-Hong-Kong-Vietnamese-boat-people-1978 — Page 50

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пеш

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CONFIDENTIAL

CONFIDENTIAL

DESKBY HONG KONG 28100gZ

FM MANILA 237839Z DEC 78

MMEDIATE HONG KONG

TELEGRAM NUMBER 238 OF 23 DECEMBER

INFO IMMEDIATE FCO, UKMIS GENEVA, WASHINGTON, HONG KONG GOVERNMENT OFFICE LONDON, CANBERR SINGAPORE AND BANGKOK.

SAVING TO HANOI,

399

YOUR TELNO 360: TUNG AN.

3/1

(400

HKK 243

NO IN MORTY NO. SI OR TYPERING, PRIORITY

KUALA LUMPUR

LOA

INDEX

No

112 CLE

1. THE TUNG-AN ENTERED MANILA BAY YESTERDAY WHERE IT HAS BEEN ALLOWED TO ANCHOR AT THE RESTRICTED EXPLOSIVES ANCHORAGE, EIGHT KILOMETERS FROM THE SHORE. THE PHILIPPINE AUTHORITIES HAVE NOT ALLOWED THE REFUGEES OFF THE SHIP. PRESS REPORTS QUOTE THE MFA AS SAYING THAT SINCE THE REFUGEE CENTER IN MANILA 13 ALREADY OVERCROWDED, THE PHILIPPINE •GOVERNMENT CANNOT ACCEPT REFUGEES ANYMORE.

2. THE GOVERNMENT HAS INSTRUCTED BOTH THE CIVILIAN AND MILITARY AUTHORITIES TO PROVIDE THE SHIP WITH FOOD, MEDICINE AND OTHER BASIC SUPPLIES. THOSE REQUIRING HOSPITAL TREATMENT ARE BEING TAKEN OFF, BUT ARE TO BE RETURNED AFTER THEY HAVE RECOVERED SUFFICIENTLY. HOWEVER, THE MFA HAVE ALSO STATED THAT STEPS ARE BEING TAKEN BY THE GOVERNMENT, IN COOPERATION WITH THE UNHCR REPRESENTATIVE HERE TO LOOK FOR A PERMANENT SETTLEMENT FOR THE

REFUGEES.

3. THE DEPUTY MINISTER OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS (INGLES) SUMMONED HEADS OF MISSIONS THIS AFTERNNON AND BLATTER, LOCAL REPRESENTATIVE OF UNHCR, WAS ALSO PRESENT. INGLES EXPLAINED THAT REFUGEE ACCOM- ODATION IN MANILA WAS OVERCROWDED AND THAT THE ARRIVAL OF THE TUNG AN PRESENTED SERIOUS PROBLEMS TO THE PHILIPPINE GOVERNMENT. THE PHILIPPINES COULD NOT ACCOMODATE THE 23560 NEW ARRIVALS (OF WHICH 60 PERCENT ARE ETHNIC CHINESE). THE TUNG AN WAS, ACCORDING TO HER CAPTAIN, OWNED BY THE WANG FOOK SHIPPING COMPANY OF HONG KONG AND WAS ON PASSAGE WITH CARGO FROM BANGKOK TO HONG KONG. THE VESSEL STOPPED TO RESCUE SHIPWRECKED MARINERS, WHEN OTHER CRAFT APPEARED BEARING REFUGEES WHO FORCED THEMSELVES ABOARD THE TUNG AN, AGAIN, ACCORDING TO THE CAPTAIN, THE VESSEL WAS FORCED OFF COURSE BY THE NE MONSOON AND MADE A LANDFALL IN BRUNEI ON 20 DECEMBER, WHERE PERMISSION TO LAND THE REFUGEES WAS REFUSED. THE VESSEL WAS TOWED INTO INTERNATIONAL WATERS ON 23 DECEMBER AND REACHED MANILA BAY ON 27 DECEMBER.

CONFIDENTIAL

/4.INGLES

12.