525
UNCLASSIFIED
DESKRY MANILA 6903617
HICK 243/
FM HONG KONG 081320Z FEB 79
по
Jal- i
TO PRIORITY FOREIGN AND COMMONWEALTH OFFICE
TELNO.236 OF 8 FEBRUARY,
INFO IMMEDIATE: MANILA,
PRIORITY : SINGAPORE, CANBERRA, JAKARTA, KUALA LUMPUR,
WASHINGTON, UKMIS GENEVA, BRUNEI,H.K.GOVT OFFICE LONDON,
INFO SAVING : HANOI.
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337
YOUR TELNO.121, PARA.3: VIETNAMESE REFUGEES.
THE FOLLOWING IS THE TEXT OF AN INTERVIEW GIVEN BY THE SECRETARY FOR SECURITY ON RADIO TELEVISION HONG KONG THIS (THURSDAY)
EVENING.
INTERVIEWER,
IT IS NO ESTABLISHED THAT HONG KONG WAS THE FIRST PORT OF CALL
DOES THIS MEAN FOR THE FREIGHTER SKY LUCK WHEN IT LEFT SINGAPORE.
THAT THOSE ON BOARD NOW HAVE A RIGHT TO BE LANDED AS REFUGEES ?
S. FOR S.
Th
LET ME CLARIFY OUR FIRST PORT OF CALL POLICY. WE BELIEVE THAT THE FOLLOWING CONDITIONS MUST APPLY IF A SHIP IS TO BE REGARDED AS HAVING HONG KONG AS ITS FIRST PORT OF CALL AND THOSE ON BOARD HAVE THE RIGHT TO BE ALLOWED TO LAND:
FIRSTLY: THE SHIP MUST BE PROPERLY. REGISTERED, SAILING UNDER AN INTERNATIONAL FLAG AND BE ON A SCHEDULED VOYAGE TO HONG KONG.
SECONDLY: THE SHIP CANNOT HAVE MADE CALLS ELSEWHERE EN ROUTE. IF IT HAS, CLEARLY HONG KONG IS NOT ITS FIRST PORT OF CALL.
THIRDLY: IF THERE ARE LARGE NUMBERS OF PEOPLE ON BOARD IT IS UP TO THE CAPTAIN OF THE VESSEL TO PROVE BEYOND REASONABLE DOUBT THAT THEY WERE GENUINE SHIPWRECKED PEOPLE PICKED UP AT SEA IN CONDITIONS WHICH GAVE RISE TO CONCERN FOR THEIR SAFETY AND THAT THEY WERE NOT
/IF THESE PICKED UP BY PRIOR ARRANGEMENT.
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