....HKE 263/1
REGIVER
[27
HOFO 15/27
TOP COPY
F C O DESKBY 271130Z
GRS 560
CONFIDENTIAL
DESKBY 271130Z
FM HONG KONG 271032Z FEB 79
TO IMMEDIATE F C C
TELEGRAM NUMBER 322 OF 27 FEBRUARY
INFO SAVING HANG!
No
130
RIZ4/HKIGD
NO
DISTRIBUTION
De Crtazz
OUR TELNO 170 (NOT TO HANC I): VIETNAMESE REFUGEES.
Why healings
1. PARAS 2 TO 6 BELOW ARE SUGGESTED MATERIAL FOR A MOMORANDUM
(REFTEL PARA 3). YOU MAY WISH TO CONSIDER HANDING THIS OVER AT
THE SAME TIME AS RAISING THE QUESTION OF THE LUCKY DRAGON (SEE MIPT).
2. INVESTIGATIONS IN HONG KONG OF THE CIRCUMSTANCES CONCERNING
THE ARRIVAL OF THE HUEY FONG AND THE SKYLUCK HAVE PROVIDED
CLEAR EVIDENCE OF THE INVOLVEMENT OF OFFICIALS OF THE GOVERNMENT OF
VIETNAM IN THE ORGANISATION OF AND IN THE FINANCIAL ARRANGEMENTS
MADE FOR THE EXODUS OF PEOPLE FROM VIETNAM ON LARGE OCEAN-GOING VESSELS. FURTHER CORROBORATION HAS BEEN OBTAINED FROM STATEMENTS MADE BY REFUGEES FROM VIETNAM WHO HAVE BEEN ALLOWED ASHORE IN COUNTRIES IN SOUTH EAST ASIA.
3. IN OCTOBER 1978, LEADING MEMBERS OF THE ETHNIC CHINESE COMMUNITY IN SOUTH VIETNAM WERE APPROACHED BY VIETNAMESE OFFICIALS AND INSTRUCTED TO ARRANGE FOR PEOPLE WISHING TO LEAVE VIETNAM TO REGISTER WITH LOCAL OFFICIALS AND TO MAKE PAYMENT FOR THEIR PASSAGE IN GOLD OR OTHER VALUABLES. OFFICIALS ALSO INDICATED HOW MUCH OF THE CHARGE MADE WOULD BE REIMBURSED TO THE ORGANISERS IN ORDER TO PAY THE OWNERS, MASTERS AND CREW OF LARGE OCEAN-GOING VESSELS. THE PRICE CHARGED HAS VARIED FROM PROVINCE TO PROVINCE BUT GENERALLY THE AFCUNT RETURNED TO THE ORGANISERS HAS BEEN TWO
TAELS PER ADULT AND ONE TAEL PER JUVENILE.
4. ONE PERSON WHO TRAVELLED FROM BANGKOK TO VUNG TAU ON THE HUEY FONG WAS ALLOWED ASHORE BY ARRANGEMENT WITH VIETNAMESE OFFICIALS AND TAKEN TO HO CHI MINH CITY, WHILE THERE, HE WAS TAKEN TO 175 TRAN HUNG DAO Q5, DONG DA (OPPOSITE THE PALACE CINEMA). HE WAS SHOWN INTO A ROOM WITH A LONG TABLE. ON ONE SIDE RESIDENTS OF VIETNAM PASSED GOLD LEAF, JEWELLERY AND RINGS FOR WEIGHING BY GOVERNMENT OFFICIALS ON THE OTHER SIDE OF THE TABLE. WHEN SUFFICIENT PAYMENT HAD BEEN MADE AN OFFICIAL RECEIPT WAS ISSUED.
THE SAME PERSON WAS LATER PAID 1,500 TAELS OF GOLD BY AN ORGANISER
IN VIETNAM WHO HAD PREVIOUSLY BEEN GIVEN THE GOLD BY VIETNAMESE
OFFICIALS. HE WAS TAKEN AFTER DARK TO A RIVER BANK AT CATLAI TO
WHICH PEOPLE WERE BROUGHT ON LORRIES AND THEN ALLOWED TO BOARD
A JUNK AND BARGE MOORED ALONGSIDE. AS EACH PERSON CROSSED THE
BRIDGE HE PASSED TO AN OFFICIAL A RECEIPT SIMILAR TO THE ONE
GIVEN AT THE ABOVE ADDRESS. THE JUNK AND BARGE THEN SAILED DOWN
RIVER TO THE HUEY FONG WHERE PEOPLE WERE TAKEN ON BOARD WITH
ARMED VIETNAMESE PATROL CRAFT AND VIETNAMESE OFFICIALS MONITORING
THE EMBARKATION, THE HUEY FONG HAD BEEN TAKEN TO ITS
ANCHORAGE BY TWO PILOTS. THIS COULD NOT HAVE BEEN DONE WITHOUT
THE APPROVAL OF GOVERNMENT OFFICIALS.
5. IN THE CASE OF THE SKYLUCK THE PENDEZVOUS WAS FURTHER SOUTH
EAST AT APPROXIMATELY 107 DEGREES AND 10 DEGREES NORTH. THE PASSENGERS WERE ASSEMBLED AT BEN TRE AND WERE ALLOWED TO BOARD JUNKS TO FERRY
THEM TO THE SHIP ON PRODUCTION OF AN OFFICIAL RECEIPT WHICH WAS HANDED TO UNIFORMED VIETNAMESE OFFICIALS. THREE UNIFORMED GUARDS BEARING RIFLES REMAINED ON BOARD THE SKYLUCK WHILE THE PASSENGERS EMBARKED.
6. IN THE CASE OF THE HUEY FONG ALL THE GOLD RELEASED BY VIETNAMESE OFFICIALS TO PAY THE ORGANISERS HAS BEEN RECOVERED. IN THE CASE OF THE SKYLUCK NO GOLD HAS BEEN FOUND ON BOARD BUT
IT IS KNOWN THAT 4,500 TAELS WERE PAID TO THOSE ORGANISING THE VOYAGE.
CON PARA 5-ITE TWO SHOULD READ NORTH..
FCO PASS SAVING HANCI
107 DEGREES EAST AND 15 DOREES
MACLEHOSE
NNNN
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