TNAG-0877-FCO40-1087-Refugees-from-Vietnam-in-Hong-Kong-Vietnamese-boat-people-1979 — Page 110

b)

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from the "Huey Fong", the "Tung An" and possibly other ships. If we were to look credible when issuing calls to other

governments to share the burden, we needed to offer the

1,500 places now sought. But an adequate response to the

growing problem in our Hong Kong Dependency may eventually warrant the offer to her of further places.

The present application for the 1,500 should however be

regarded as self-contained, to the extent that its merits rested

not only on the need to help Hong Kong but on foreign policy considerations in relation to Thailand and Malaysia. Approval for it should not be withheld because of unquantifiable future

fears.

c)

d)

5.

The need to demonstrate activity publicly may arise as early as next week if a decision is taken by then to ask the HKG

to allow those on the Huey Fong to disembark.

Meanwhile we were considering what more could be done through

international pressures upon Vietnam in relation to its domestic policies and its unscrupulous behaviour in arranging

the refugees' departure in exchange for payment in gold)

through examining the possibility of fresh legislative measures within Hong Kong, and through an appeal to other governments to

take a greater share.

Some fears were expressed by the Treasury and Home Office of a sudden emergency if the Master of a UK-registered ship entered the commercial refugee business, à la Huey Fong, which could bring a couple of thousand refugees suddenly into the category of people for whom we had an automatic liability to accommodate in Britain. We took the line that there was no evidence to suggest that this was more than a remote possibility. [Nevertheless we now propose to take a view from DOT Shipping Division officials on whether any precautions should be considered]. Similarly, for fear of delaying the decision on the 1,500, we deemed it best not to tackle at this stage a comment made

by the Home Office side that it would be difficult for the voluntary

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/ agencies to