TNAG-0878-FCO40-1088-Refugees-from-Vietnam-in-Hong-Kong-Vietnamese-boat-people-1979 — Page 19

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FM HONG KONG 1808952 JAN 79

по

Mai, Or

TO IMMEDIATE FOREIGN AND COMMONWEALTH OFFICE. TELNO.125 OF 18 JANUARY,

(164

INFO IMMEDIATE: WASHINGTON, UKMIS GENEVA, H.K. GOVT OFFICE LONDON.

124

MY TELNO.109 (NOTAL). "'HUEY FONG"’.

:

1. WE LEARNED THIS MORNING THAT THE MEETING SET UP AT OUR

REQUEST (REFTEL PARA.2) BETWEEN THE U.S MISSION IN TAIPEI AND FOREIGN AFFAIRS OFFICIALS IN TAIWAN WAS TO TAKE PLACE AT 180300. THE RESULT OF THIS MEETING WAS THAT THERE HAS BEEN NO CHANGE (YET) IN OFFICIAL POLICY (1.E IN THEORY, ETHNIC CHINESE ABOARD THE SHIP COULD BE LANDED AT KAOHSIUNG) BUT WE CAN EXPECT NOTHING SAID BY THE AUTHORITIES IN TAIWAN TO ENCOURAGE THE SHIP TO GO ON ITS WAY.

2. WE DELAYED SETTING UP A MEETING ABOARD HMS WASPERTON UNTIL WE HAD THE RESULTS OF THE DEMARCHE IN TAIPEI SINCE WE COULD NOT TAKE THE RISK OF TRIGGERING THE FINAL SCENARIO WHILE THERE REMAINED THE CHANCE OF A POSITIVE REPLY FROM TAIWAN.

3. A MEETING LAST ABOUT FORTY MINUTES BETWEEN THE DEPUTY SECRETARY FOR SECURITY, THE MASTER AND REPRESENTATIVES OF THE REFUGEES HAS JUST ENDED. WE SHALL REPORT ON IT LATER. THIS MEETING HAS NOT YET BEEN ANNOUNCED PUBLICLY (THERE WAS, HOWEVER, A RADIO REPORT AT 1805002, WHICH WE HAVE DENIED, THAT A MEETING WAS IN PROGRESS ON

THE ''HUEY FONG'').

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