RR UKREP BRUSSELS
GR 435
CONFIDENTIAL
FM F C O 191717Z FEB 79
TO ROUTINE UKREP BRUSSELS
HKK 243/1
No 7/2
TELEGRAM NUMBER 271 OF 19 FEBRUARY
AND TO ALL EEC POSTS.
ar
401
FOLLOWING TELEGRAM NOW REPEATED TO YOU AT REQUEST OF SEAD
WAS RECEIVED FROM HONG KONG TELNO 235 OF 8 FEBRUARY.
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INFO PRIORITY UKMIS GENEVA, WASHINGTON, MANILA, HONG KONG GOVT OFFICE LONDON
INFO SAVING HANOI.
YOUR TELNO. 121 (NOTAL): VIETNAMESE GOVERNMENT INVOLVEMENT IN THE REFUGEE TRAFFIC.
1. THE FOLLOWING PICTURE HAS EMERGED FROM INTERVIEWING THE CREW AND PASSENGERS OF THE "HUEY FONG".
(1) AT THE REQUEST OF VIETNAMESE OFFICIALS THE 'HUEY FONG' PROCEEDED FROM A PREVIOUSLY ARRANGED RENDEZVOUS POINT TO A POSITION S.S.E. OF VUNG TAU AT 10 DEGS 9.5 NORTH AND 107 DEGS 15.5 EAST, REACHING THERE AT 1700 ON 14 DECEMBER. IT THEN ANCHORED.
LATER A NUMBER OF ARMED VIETNAMESE OFFICIALS CAME ABOARD INCLUDING A PILOT. FOLLOWING AN ARGUMENT AS TO HOW CLOSE INSHORE THE VESSEL SHOULD COME, IT WAS PILOTED TO A FINAL POSITION ABOUT ONE MILE WEST OF VUNG TAU AT 10 DEGS 20.1 NORTH, 107 DEGS 0.04 EAST REACHING THERE AT 2000 ON 14 DECEMBER, THE VESSEL REMAINED IN THIS POSITION FOR SEVERAL DAYS DURING WHICH TIME THE PASSENGERS WERE BOARDED IN SIGHT OF NEARBY VIETNAMESE PATROL CRAFT.
(11) THERE IS EVIDENCE THAT GOLD WAS PAID IN TWO SEPARATE AMOUNTS BY VIETNAMESE OFFICIALS TO REPRESENTATIVES OF THE VESSEL. ONE AMOUNT OF 1500 TAELS OF GOLD WAS PAID IN ADVANCE IN HO CHI MINH CITY AND A FURTHER 2,600 TAELS WAS HANDED OVER ON THE VESSEL WHEN THE LAST OF THE PASSENGERS HAD BOARDED. ALL OF THIS GOLD HAS BEEN RECOVERED FROM THE VESSEL. IT HAD BEEN CONCEALED IN A DISUSED FUEL TANK UNDERNEATH A PROPELLOR SHAFT.
(111) CHINESE AND VIETNAMESE LIVING IN THE CHOLON AREA OF HO CHI MINH CITY HAVE BEEN REQUIRED TO PAY, IN SOME CASES DIRECT TO VIETNAMESE OFFICIALS AND IN OTHERS THROUGH AN INTERMEDIARY, THE SUM OF 12 TAELS OF GOLD PER ADULT AND 6 TAELS PER CHILD IF THEY WISHED TO LEAVE VIETNAM. THOSE WISHING TO LEAVE HAD FIRST TO REGISTER WITH THE VIETNAMESE AUTHORITIES AND WERE CHECKED PRIOR TO BOARDING SMALL BOATS FOR FERRYING TO A LARGE VESSEL SUCH AS THE "HUEY FONG'. VIETNAMESE OFFICIALS RETAINED 10 TAELS PER ADULT AND 5 TAELS PER CHILD. THE REMAINDER WAS PAID BY THE VIETNAMESE OFFICIALS TO THE REPRESENTATIVES OF THE VESSEL IN THE MANNER DESCRIBED IN (11). IT IS UNDERSTOOD THAT GOLD HAS BEEN KNOWN TO BE PAID DIRECT TO A VIETNAMESE OFFICIAL AT AN ADDRESS IN HO CHI MINH CITY DESCRIBED AS NO. 175 OF A STREET (NAME UNKNOWN) OPPOSITE A CINEMA PREVIOUSLY KNOWN AS THE **PALACE”.
2. MORE DETAIL ON THIS SUBJECT IS GRADUALLY EMERGING, BUT THE POLICE ARE NOT YET IN A POSITION TO PREVIDE A FULL REPORT. IT IS POSSIBLE THAT FURTHER INTERROGATION MAY CHANGE SOME OF THE FOREGOING DETAIL, BUT WE BELIEVE THE MAIN FACTS ARE ESSENTIALLY CORRECT.
3. WE WOULD BE GRATEFUL IF THE EVIDENCE ABOVE COULD BE KEPT CONFIDENTIAL AS ITS RELEASE TO THE MEDIA COULD PREJUDICE CRIMINAL PROCEEDINGS.
OWEN
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