TNAG-0878-FCO40-1088-Refugees-from-Vietnam-in-Hong-Kong-Vietnamese-boat-people-1979 — Page 57

(43A

GRS 336

CONFIDENTIAL

CONFIDENTIAL

FM HANOI 15100OZ JAN 79

N2

TO PRIORITY FCO TELNO 29 OF 15 JAN

У жні ро

منام

AND PRIORITY HONG KONG BANGKOK KUALA LUMPUR MANILA CANBERRA

WASHINGTON UKMIS GENEVA. VIETNAMESE REFUGEES.

BECAUSE OF THE REFUSAL OF THE

HONG KONG AND PHILIPPINE GOVTS TO ACCEPT REFUGEES FROM THE HUEY FONG AND TANG AN REPECTIVELY, VIETNAMESE AUTHORITIES ARE HOW BEGINNING TO DOUBT THE WISDOM OF SENDING REFUGEES ON SUCH

LARGE SHIPS.

THE RECENT FIRM STATEMENT

SY THE AUSTRALIAN PRIME MINISTER AND THE FIRM REACTION OF THE

HONG KONG AUTHORITIES OVER THE HUEY FONG HAD LED TO A SHIP, WHICH

LEFT FOR DARWIN OVER CHRISTMAS, RETURNING TO H C N CITY AND OFF- LOADING REFUGEES (THIS WAS THE SHIP, MENTIONED IN MY TELNO 110 OF

1978:

FAILING DARWIN IT WOULD HAVE GONE

TO HONG KONG IF HUEY FONG REFUGEES HAD BEEN ACCEPTED. A SECOND SHIP

DUE TO LEAVE FOR DARWIN IN JANUARY WAS CANCELLED AND ARRANGEMENTS

TO CHARTER THREE MORE SHIPS HAVE BEEN SHELVED FOR THE MOMENT BUT

A DECISION ON WHETHER TO CONTINUE SUCH OPERATIONS DEPENDS LARGELY

ON THE OUTCOME OF THE HUEY FONG AND TANG AN.

FCO PASS ALL.

MARGETSON

FILES

HD/SEAD

HD/UND

HD/FRD

HD/NAD

HD/SPD

HD/IK & GD PS

1

(PASSED AS REQUESTED]

PS/LORD GORONWY ROBERTS

PS/MR LUARD

PS/PUS

SIR A DUFF

MR CORTAZZI

MR MURRAY MR WEIR

CONFIDENTIAL

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UNTIL .......

EXEMPTION No...38.

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