GAS 24.5
CONFIDENTIAL
CONFIDENTIAL
FONG KONG 230910Z JAN 79
TO PRIORITY FOREIGN AND COMMONWEALTH OFFICE
TELNO.158 OF 23 JANUARY,
INFO HONG KONG GOVERNMENT OFFICE LONDON.
MY TELNO.152: ''HUEY FONG''.
Me Stimpson..
• Mr Quantrill - UND Love
of
The
231,
ashid that we title this do you agree
1. AS YOU KNOW, WE ARE NOT IN A POSITION HERE 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.
2. GRATEFUL IF YOU COULD TRY TO ENSURE THAT THE BBC, IN REPORTING
ON OUR TREATMENT OF THE HUEY FONG, EMPHASISES THAT THE DIFFICULTIS OF THOSE ON BOARD ARE NOT YET AT AN END. BESIDES THE CHARGES WHIGI
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 OUT
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 THE
INTERNATIONAL RESPONSE WAS APPROPRIATELY GENEROUS.
3. PAINTING IN SUCH GLOOMY, BUT TRUE, PARTS OF THE PICTURE MAY
DO A LITTLE TO HELP DETER FURTHER ATTEMPTS.
MACLEHOSE
FILES
COPIES TO
HONG KONG GOVERNMENT OFFICE MR BURLEIGH HOME OFFICE
LONDON
UND
HK & GD
PS
SEAD
FED
PS/LORD GORONWY--ROBERTS PS/HR LUARD PS/PUS
SAD
SIR A DUFF
MR BIRT
EID (E)
HR CORTAZZI
TUSD
OID
IPD
NEVS D AVD
MR WEIR
MR MURRAY
CONFIDENTIAL
QUEEN ANNE'S GATE HOME OFFICE LUNAR HOUSE
CROYDON
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