TNAG-0877-FCO40-1087-Refugees-from-Vietnam-in-Hong-Kong-Vietnamese-boat-people-1979 — Page 70

GR

CONFIDENTIAL

42

See (58

58).+97

CONFIDENTIAL

FM HONG KONG 251215Z JAN 79

TO IMMEDIATE FOREIGN AND COMMONWEALTH OFFICE

TELNO.41 OF 5 JANUARY,

INFO IMMEDIATE: UKMIS GENEVA, WASHINGTON,

2.

HKK 243

„DIVED IN REGISTRY H051

S

8 JAN 1979

DERK OF

INDEX

RE

CLE

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

BANGKOK, MODUK, H.K. GOVERNMENT OFFICE LONDON,

INFO SAVING : HANOI.

MY TELNO.38:

39

HUEY FONG': MEETING ABOARD HMS WASPERTON.

:

1. FOLLOWING THE UNHCR REPRESENTATIVE'S MEETING THIS AFTERNOON, GOVERNMENT INFORMATION SERVICES HAVE ISSUED A STATEMENT AT HIS REQUEST (SEE MY TELNO.40).

(41)

RASANAVAGAM HAS BEEN DEBRIEFED. PARAS 3 TO 7 BELOW GIVE THE MAIN POINTS WHICH WERE NOT COVERED IN THE STATEMENT.

3. HE TOLD THE REFUGEES THAT HIS APPEAL TO THE HONG KONG

GOVERNMENT (H.K.G) TO LAND THE REFUGEES ON HUMANITARIAN GROUNDS HAD BEEN REJECTED AND THAT HE PERSONALLY SAW NO CHANCE OF THE H.K.G RELAXING ITS POSITION. HE ADDED THAT HE BELIEVED THAT IF THE REFUGEES WERE EVER BROUGHT ASHORE IN HONG KONG (E.G IF THEY WERE TO SCUTTLE THE SHIP) THE H.K.G WOULD NOT AUTOMATICALLY ALLOW THEM ACCESS TO HIM OR TO FOREIGN MISSIONS IN HONG KONG. PROSPECT WAS THAT THEIR CLAIMS MIGHT ONLY BE GIVEN ATTENTION AFTER ALL PRESENT AND FUTURE DIRECT ARRIVALS IN HONG KONG HAD

BEEN RESETTLED.

14.

THE

HE SAID THE MOST RECENT STATEMENT OF POLICY BY THE TAIWANESE AUTHORITIES WAS UNCLEAR SEMI-COLON BUT HIS PERSONAL ASSESSMENT WAS THAT TAIWAN WOULD FIND IT DIFFICULT TO REFUSE LANDING IF THE

SHIP WAS TO PROCEED TO KAOHSIUNG.

CONFIDENTIAL

/5. HE