TNAG-0794-FCO40-998-Refugees-from-Vietnam-in-Hong-Kong-Vietnamese-boat-people-1978 — Page 91

CRS 303

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·FM BRUNET 2383332) DEC 78

TO PRIORITY FCO

TELNO 285 OF 23 DECEMBER

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HKK 243/1

RECEIVED IN REGISTRY NO. 51 29 DEC 1978

DLOK OFFICER INDEX

No

INFO ROUTINE KUALA LUMPUR, SINGAPORE, MANILA, JAKARTA, HONG KONG (FOR GOVERNOR), UKM13 GENEVA

INFO SAVING MANOJ, BANGKOK, TOKYO

PA

M2 29/12

See (381

371

CE

VIETNAMESE REFUGEES

1. FIRST SIGNIFICANT ATTEMPT TO LAND VIETNAMESE REFUGEES, IN BRUNET HAS JUST OCCURRED.

2. FREIGHTER TONG AN ABOUT 520 TONS BELIEVED TO BE OF HONG KONG ORIGIN BUT WITH 'PANAMA' RECENTLY PAINTED ON STERM AND WITH NO FLAG OF REGISTRY ANCHORED ABOUT 3/4 MILE OFF

APPROACH MUARA POINT AFTER DARK ON THURSDAY 21 DECEMBER.

#

WAS DETECTED BY RECENTLY INSTITUTED POLICE AND RBMR PATROLS AND LANDING PREVENTED, CAPTAIN REPORTED HE HAD 2580 VIETNAMESE ON BOARD (ALTHOUGH SUBSEQUENT OBSERVATIONS SUGGEST FEWER, PERHAPS 850-1000).

3. BRUNET GOVERNMENT ADAMANTLY REFUSES TO ACCEPT

VIETNAMESE REFUGEES, SO RBMR AND POLICE HAVE REPLENISHED

*7

*

SUPPLIES (5 DAYS RATIONS, 45 TONS OIL, ABOUT 300 TONS WATER) AND TENDED SUCH SICK AS WERE PRODUCED. BEING SATISFIED THAT VESSEL WAS SEAWORTHY AND COULD PROCEED WITHOUT HAZARD ABMR ARE NOW TOWING AWAY FROM COAST WITH OBJECTIVE OF SLIPPING TOW ABOUT 53 MILES OUT.

4.

AFTER TOW! COMMENCED ABOUT 53 VIETNAMESE JUMPED OVERBOARD

AND WERE PICKED UP BY RBMR. INTENTION IS TO RETURN THEM

TO TONG AN AFTER THEY HAVE RESTED.

5.

BRIGADIER ROBERTS HAS TOLD ME THERE IS NO DOUBT THIS

COMMERCIAL VENTURE, APPARENTLY WELL PLANNED SINCE VESSEL

COULD NOT HAVE REACHED ANCHORAGE WITHOUT ACCURATE CHARTS.

NO VIOLENCE OF ANY KIND HAS SO FAR OCCURRED. ABMR DID

HOWEVER PICK UP FROM SEA BODY OF BABY WHO HAD APPARENTLY

DIED ON 30ARD.

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16.

THIS