TNAG-0794-FCO40-998-Refugees-from-Vietnam-in-Hong-Kong-Vietnamese-boat-people-1978 — Page 83

GR 850

CONFIDENTIAL

CONFIDENTIAL

HKK 243/1

RECEIVED IN REGAMMY RO. 51 29 DEC1978

INDLX

375

No

ar 7/12

FM HONG KONG 231825Z DEC 78

TO IMMEDIATE FOREIGN AND COMMONWEALTH OFFICE TELNO.1482 OF 23 DECEMBER 78,

INFO IMMEDIATE: UKMIS GENEVA, WASHINGTON,

Lee 377 +383

375A)

PRIORITY: PEKING, CANBERRA, MANILA, KUALA LUMPUR, SINGAPORE,

BANGKOK, HONG KONG GOVERNMENT OFFICE LONDON,

INFO SAVING : HANOI,

(374)

MIPT: HUEY FONG.

FOLLOWING IS TEXT GIVEN TO U.S CONSULATE-GENERAL:

REF: TAIPEH 5460 (OF 17 AUGUST FROM U.S EMBASSY TAIPEN TO U.S CONSULATE-GENERAL HONG KONG).

1. THIS CABLE IS BEING SENT AT THE REQUEST OF THE HONG KONG

GOVERNMENT (HKG).

#

2. THE HUEY FONG, REGISTERED IN PANAMA AND OWNED IN TAIWAN, IS

ANCHORED ABOUT ONE MILE OUTSIDE HONG KONG COLONY WATERS WITH 2700 BOAT REFUGEES ABOARD. THE MASTER (WHO IS FROM TAIWAN) SAYS THEY WERE RESCUED FROM NINE BOATS SEMI-COLON THAT ALL ARE FROM CHOLON

SEMI-COLON AND THAT ROUGHLY 300 ARE ETHNIC VIETNAMESE, 2400

ETHNIC CHINESE.

3. THE H.K.G HAS TOLD THE MASTER THAT ALL REFUGEES REQUIRING

URGENT HOSPITAL TREATMENT CAN BE TAKEN OFF (ARRANGEMENTS ARE

BEING MADE) SEMI-COLON AND THAT HE SHOULD THEN GO TO HIS FIRST SCHEDULED PORT OF CALL AFTER THE RESCUE: KAOHSIUNG IN TAIWAN.

HE HAS SAID THAT HE IS UNABLE TO DO SO BECAUSE HE BELIEVES THAT

THE REPUBLIC OF CHINA (ROC) WILL NOT ALLOW THE REFUGEES TO LAND.

CONFIDENTI AL

14.

THE H.K.G