TNAG-0878-FCO40-1088-Refugees-from-Vietnam-in-Hong-Kong-Vietnamese-boat-people-1979 — Page 124

CONFIDENTIAL

4. THE PARALLEL MEETING WITH THE MASTER, SHU WEN-SHAN (5289 2429

910), PRODUCED NO SUBSTANTIVE EVIDENCE ABOUT THE ALLEGED RESCUE. HE HAS A WELL-CONSTRUCTED STORY BUT THOSE WHO INTERVIEWED HIM BELIEVE THAT HIS EAGERNESS TO PRESENT IT STRONGLY SUGGESTS THAT IT IS FALSE. SHU CLAIMS TO HAVE BEEN TRAINED AS A KMT NAVAL OFFICER AT PORTSMOUTH DURING THE SECOND WORLD WAR AND TO HAVE RETIRED FROM THE NAVY IN 1955. HE SAID THAT IF HE HAD TO GO TO PRISON IN HONG KONG FOR RESCUING REFUGEES HE WOULD ACCEPT THIS RATHER THAN GO TO TAIWAN IF THE REFUGEES CANNOT BE LANDED

THERE.

5. RASANAYAGAM'S ANALYSIS OF THE PERSONAL DETAILS SO FAR SHOWS THAT (PENDING A RECOUNT) THERE ARE 3,316 REFUGEES IN 694 FAMILY

GROUPS. PRECISE ETHNIC AND AGE BREAKDOWNS ARE NOT YET AVAILABLE BUT THE VIETNAMESE REPRESENTATIVE TOOK RASANAYAGAM ASIDE YESTERDAY AND SAID THAT NOT MORE THAN 10 PERCENT ON BOARD WERE VIETNAMESE. 88 PERCENT CLAIM RELATIVES ABROAD. A FEW CLAIM TO HAVE HAD HIGH POSITIONS IN THE SOUTH VIETNAMESE ARMY. GENERALLY THEY CLAIM GOOD EDUCATIONAL QUALIFICATIONS. MOST (1,504) CLAIM U.S. CONNECTIONS. AFTER THAT, THE MAIN CLAIMS ARE : AUSTTRALIA (937), HONG KONG (248), CANADA (176), FRANCE (84) AND

THE FRG (27). RASANAYAGAM HAS INVITED THEIR REPRESENTATIVES TO A MEETING TOMORROW. THERE ARE 17 CLAIMS ON OTHER COUNTRIES. 411 CLAIM NO RELATIVES OVERSEAS.

j

6. THE REFUGEES TOLD RASANAYAGAM ABOUT CONDITIONS ABOARD IN CONSIDERABLE DETAIL. HE HAS NOT, ON THE BASIS OF THAT INFORMATION, FELT IT NECESSARY TO MAKE A FURTHER APPEAL TO US TO LAND THE REFUGEES ON HUMANITARIAN GROUNDS. THE MAJOR OUTSTANDING REQUEST IS FOR COOKING STOVES. THIS HAS BEEN REFUSED, PURELY ON GROUNDS

OF SAFETY.

FCO PLEASE PASS SAVING HANOI. MACLEHOSE.

FILES

UND

PS

KK & GD

SEAD

PS/LORD GORONWY-ROBERTS PS/MR LUARD

FED

PS/PUS

SAD

SIR A DUFF

EID (E)

MR CORTAZZI

FUSD

CID

*RD

NEWS D WWD

MR WEIR

MR MURRAY

COPIES TO

HONG KONG GOVERNMENT OFFICE MR BURLEIGH HOME OFFICE

LONDON

MR BIRT

2 CONFIDENTIAL

QUEEN ANNE'S GATE HOME OFFICE

LUNAR HOUSE CROYDON