330
CO
DENTIAL
CONFIDENTIAL
HKK 243/1
RECEIVED IN REGSKY NO. 51 29 DEC 1978
383
FM HONG KONG 251215Z DEC 78
TO IMMEDIATE FCO
TELEGRAM NUMBER 1485 OF 25 DECEMBER
INFO IMMEDIATE UKMIS GENEVA
CANBERRA MANILA KUALA LUMPUR
GVT OFFICE LONDON
WASHINGTON
SINGAPORE
INFO SAVING HANOI.
379
YOUR TELNO 970: HUEY FONG.
1.
INDEX
No
PRIORTTY PEKING
27/12
CLE
BANGKOK AND HONG KONG
See (384) + 386
-387
RE-PROVISIONING OF THE HUEY FONG WAS COMPLETED THIS MORNING.
THE POLICE UNIT HAS BEEN WITHDRAWN.
2. SINCE THE SHIP WAS THEN IN A POSITION TO CONTINUE ITS VOYAGE
THE MASTER AND TWO REFUGEE REPRESENTATIVES WERE BROUGHT ON TO HMS WASPERTON. THEY WERE TOLD THAT ALL THE NECESSARY MEDICAL ATTENTION AND SUPPLIES OF FOOD AND WATER WHICH WERE ORIGINALLY REQUIRED HAD NOW BEEN PROVIDED. THE GOVERNMENT'S DECISION THAT
THE SHIP WOULD NOT BE ALLOWED TO ENTER HONG KONG NOR TO DISEMBARK REFUGEES (SINCE THIS WAS NOT THEIR FIRST PORT OF CALL) WAS REPEATED: THE MASTER WAS TOLD THAT HE SHOULD IMMEDIATELY LEAVE AND
PROCEED TO HIS ORIGINAL DESTINATION. DURING FURTHER DISCUSSION HE WAS ALSO GIVEN OUR UNDERSTANDING OF TAIWAN'S POLICY TO REFUGEES AS CUTLINED IN PARA 4 OF MY TELNO 1482.
3.
375
AT ONE STAGE THE REFUGEE REPRESENTATIVES ASKED FOR GUARANTEES THAT THEY WOULD BE RE-SETTLED MORE QUICKLY FROM TAIWAN THAN IF THEY · LANDED IN HONG KONG. THEY WERE TOLD THAT WE WERE NOT IN A POSITION TO GIVE ANY SUCH UNDERTAKING. HOWEVER THEY WERE PROVIDED WITH A WRITTEN ASSURANCE FROM THE LOCAL REPRESENTATIVE OF UNHCR UNDER- TAKING TO PROVIDE ASSISTANCE THROUGH THIRD PARTIES IF THE REFUGEES
WERE LANDED IN TAIWAN (FULL TEXT IN MIFT).
4. THE MASTER OF THE HUEY FONG NOW SAYS HE MUST GET A GUARANTEE
THAT HE WILL BE ACCEPTED IN TAIWAN BEFORE HE SAILS. TOLD THAT THIS IS A MATTER FOR HIM NOT US.
HE IS BEING
SEPARATELY HOWEVER
WE HAVE ASKED THE AMERICANS TO DO WHAT THEY CAN TO ENSURE THAT THE
CONFIDENTIAL
/ TAIWANESE DO
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