TNAG-0877-FCO40-1087-Refugees-from-Vietnam-in-Hong-Kong-Vietnamese-boat-people-1979 — Page 54

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FM HONG KONG 081055Z JAN 79

TO MEDIATE F C O

TELEGRAM NUMBER 54 OF 8 JANUARY

See 56

INFO IMMEDIATE UKMIS GENEVA, WASHINGTON.

PA

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

BANGKOK, MODUK, HONG KONG GOVERNMENT OFFICE LONDON

INFO SAVING HANO1.

HUEY FONG. SITREP AS AT 081000Z.

·

1. THERE HAVE BEEN NO MAJOR DEVELOPMENTS,

HKK 243 RECEIVED IN REGATRY RZ.

DESK C

INDEX

No

9 JAN 1979

2. RATIONS FOR 5 MORE DAYS WERE DELIVERED BY HELICOPTER TODAY.

102 TONS OF FRESH WATER WERE PUNPED INTO THE SHIP'S TANKS.

cir

AT THE MASTER'S REQUEST TOILET PAPER AND WRITING PAPER HAVE ALSO.

BEEN PUT ON BOARD.

3. TWO PATIENTS WERE RETURNED FROM HOSPITAL TO THE SHIP YESTERDAY

AFTERNOON. THIS LEAVES 13 IN HOSPITAL.

4. CONSIDERABLE PRESS AND MEDIA INTEREST HAS CONTINUED. THE DIRECTOR

OF INFORMATION SERVICES AND THE LOCAL UNHCR REPRESENTATIVE,

R RASANAYAGAM, APPEARED ON TVB'S ENGLISH LANGUAGE CURRENT AFFAIRS

DISCUSSION PROGRAMME FOCUS'' LAST NIGHT. MR RASANAYAGAM GAVE THE GIST OF THE LETTER WHICH HE HAD RECEIVED FROM THE HUSY FONG EARLIER IN THE DAY. THE MAIN POINT WAS TO ASK THE HIGH COMMISSIONER

TO INTERVENE WITH THE HONG KONG GOVERNMENT TO PERMIT THE REFUGEES TO BE DISEMBARKED IN HONG KONG. THE FULL TEXT OF

THIS LETTER WILL BE SENT SEPARATELY (NOT TO ALL).

5. MR JACK ASHLEY IS QUOTED IN TODAY'S SCMP AS SAYING THAT NEITHER THE MAGNITUDE OF HONG KONG'S REFUGEE PROBLEM NOR THE MAGNANIMITY

IT HAD SHOWN HAD BEEN RECOGNISED THROUGHOUT THE WORLD.

FCO PLEASE PASS SAVING TO HANOI.

MACLEHOSE

FILES

UND

HKGD

SEAD

FED

SAD

EID (E)

FUS

OIU

IPD

NEWS D

MVD

PS

.

[REPEATED AS REQUESTED]

COPIES TO:

PS/MR.LUARD

PS/PUS

SIR A. DUFF

MR.CORTAZZI MR.MEIR MR.MURRAY

MR.BIK?, HO.,LUNAR HOUSE,CROYDON. MR.BURLEIGH, HO.,QUEEN ANNE'S

GATE.

HONG KONG GOVT.OFFICE, LONDON,

·PS/LORD CORONŴY ROBERTS

CONFIDENTIAL