TNAG-0879-FCO40-1089-Refugees-from-Vietnam-in-Hong-Kong-Vietnamese-boat-people-1979 — Page 80

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ADVANCES BOAT PEOPLE

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CONFIDENTIAL

FM HONG KONG 230910Z JAN 79

TO FRIORITY FOREIGN AND COMMONWEALTH OFFIC

TELNO.158 OF 23 JANUARY,

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INFO HONG KONG GOVERNMENT OFFICE LONDON.

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MY TELNO.152 : ''HUEY FONG''.

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It has refered this Telegram

1. AS YOU KNOW, WE ARE NOT IN A POSITION MERE TO MONITOR THE VIETNAMESE SERVICE OF THE BBC. WE DO NOT THEREFORE KNOW HOW

THEY HAVE PLAYED THE ARRIVAL HERE OF THE HUEY FONG, CLEARLY, HOWEVER, THE WAY IN WHICH THIS IS PUT ACROSS WILL HAVE SOME EFFECT ON FUTURE PLANS TO LAUNCH FURTHER BOAT-LOADS OF REFUGEES.

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2. GRATEFUL IF YOU COULD TRY TO ENSURE THAT THE BBC, IN REPORTING

ON OUR TREATMENT OF THE HUEY FONG, EMPHASISES THAT THE DIFFICULTE OF THOSE ON BOARD ARE NOT YET AT AN END. BESIDES THE CHARGES WHIGH MAY BE LEVELLED AGAINST THE MASTER AND ANY OTHERS CONNECTED WITH HIM, THE PASSENGERS THEMSELVES CANNOT EXPECT RAPID RESETTLEMENT ELSEWHERE. AT PRESENT THEY ARE BEING HELD-IN DETENTION PENDING A DECISION ON THEIR STATUS. THE BBC MIGHT HELPFULLY POINT GUT THAT WHEN THE CLARA MAERSK (THE LAST BIG SHIP-LOAD OF REFUGEES TO, REACH HONG KONG) ARRIVED HERE IN 1975, IT TOOK THREE AND A HALF YEARS (UNTIL OCTOBER 1978) TO RESETTLE ALL OF THOSE ON BOARD. FURTHERMORE, IN THAT CASE, THERE WAS NO DOUBT THAT THE PEOPLE

CONCERNED WERE GENUINE SHIPWRECKED REFUGEES AND THEP. INTERNATIONAL RESPONSE WAS APPROPRIATELY GENEROUS.