TNAG-0877-FCO40-1087-Refugees-from-Vietnam-in-Hong-Kong-Vietnamese-boat-people-1979 — Page 42

GR 780

UNCLASSIFIED

DESKBY 098900Z (BOTH)

KONG

FM HONG KONG 090653Z JAN 79

TO IMMEDIATE FOREIGN AND COMMONWEALTH OFFICE

TELNO.57 OF 9 JANUARY,

Seele Sue GZA

+ HKK 243/1

RECEIVED IN REGISTRY NO. 51

9 JAN 1979

DESK DER.

INDEX

No

INFO IMMEDIATE HONG KONG GOVERNMENT OFFICE LONDON.

''HUEY FONG''.

REG TRY

Action Sen

1. WE HAVE NOTED FROM COMMENTS MADE BY MR FRED MULLEY AND OTHERS

THAT THE NATIONAL PRESS IN BRITAIN HAS NOT GIVEN DUE WEIGHT TO HONG KONG'S ACHIEVEMENTS REGARDING REFUGEES FROM VIETNAM IN

PARTICULAR.

2. WE THEREFORE SUGGEST THAT YOU SHOULD CONSIDER WRITING TO, SAY,

THE GUARDIAN AND THE TELEGRAPH USING THE MATERIAL CONTAINED IN PARAS 3 TO 12. TIMING OF PUBLICATION IS HOWEVER OF THE UTMOST IMPORTANCE AND THE MATERIAL SHOULD ONLY BE USED IF AN ASSURANCE OF IMMEDIATE PUBLICATION, CERTAINLY THIS WEEK, CAN BE OBTAINED.

3. REFUGEES IN HONG KONG.

ONE ASPECT WHICH HAS NOT BEEN GIVEN THE ATTENTION IT DESERVES IN THE ADVICE WHICH HAS BEEN OFFERED TO THE HONG KONG GOVERNMENT ABOUT THE M.V. HUEY FONG IS HONG KONG'S RECORD IN PROVIDING PERMANENT AND TEMPORARY HOMES FOR PEOPLES IN THE REGION.

4. INFLUENTIAL PEOPLE OUTSIDE HONG KONG (E.G. SENATOR KENNEDY) HAVE REFERRED TO THE HUEY FONG AS IF IT WERE THE FIRST LARGE OCEAN-GOING VESSEL TO POSE A REFUGEE PROBLEM FOR HONG KONG. THIS, OF COURSE, IS NOT THE CASE. THE M.V. CLARA MAERSK PICKED UP NEARLY 4000 REFUGEES IN THE SOUTH CHINA SEA IN MAY 1975 AND

BROUGHT THEM TO HONG KONG AT ONLY 36 HOURS NOTICE. SPECIAL CAMPS WERE QUICKLY ESTABLISHED TO PROVIDE A TEMPORARY HOME FOR THEM. DESPITE THE INTERNATIONAL INTEREST WHICH THIS RESCUE CREATED AND WELCOME ASSISTANCE OF THE UNHCR IT TOOK OVER 3 YEARS TO

RESETTLE THESE REFUGEES PERMANENTLY.

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THE HONG KONG