GF 323
CONFIDENTIAL
機密
REPORT ON THE ARRIVAL OF THE M.V. "HUEY FONG"
IN HONG KONG
BACKGROUND
1.
On Monday, 18th December, 1978, the Master of the Panamanian registered freighter "Huey Fong" sent a telex message to Hong Kong requesting permission to enter port with about 2,700 refugees whom he claimed to have picked up off the coast of Vietnam on 17th December. He sent a second message the following day, at which time his ship was still close to Vietnam and nearer to other ports than to Hong Kong. Since the ship's next scheduled port of call was Kaohsiung in Taiwan he was told that he would not be allowed to enter Hong Kong and he was advised to continue to his original destination. He ignored this message and communicated again on 22nd December when his ship was only 145 miles south-south-west of Hong Kong. He was again told that he would not be allowed to enter Hong Kong waters.
The decision to refuse to allow the "Huey Fong" to enter Hong Kong was based on the Government's adherence to the principle that shipwrecked survivors rescued by ocean-going vessels should be landed at the first scheduled port of call and given shelter there pending eventual resettlement by the UNHCR in third countries. In line with this policy over 5,000 boat refugees from Indo China had been allowed to land temporarily in Hong Kong during 1978 and most of them were still awaiting resettlement. However, the Government accepted that in genuine emergencies assistance should be given to a vessel for which Hong Kong was not the first port of call. It was for this reason that the Master was asked on 22nd December to state his requirements for food, water and medicine.
2.
THE INTERCEPTION AND STOPPING OF THE SHIP
3.
During the afternoon of 22nd December, the RHKAAF Islander aircraft which was on aerial reconnaissence sighted the "Huey Fong" 135 miles south-south-west of Hong Kong.
She was making 8 knots in the direction of Hong Kong in fairly heavy weather. Her decks were covered with refugees. At 1700 hours HMS Wasperton sailed in order to locate and identify the ship outside Hong Kong waters.
At 2350 hours she made contact with the "Huey Fong" 50 miles south-south-west of Waglan Island. Thereafter HMS Wasperton remained close to the ship. Meanwhile ashore steps were taken to bring into effect plans which had already been prepared to cover such an eventuality.
4.
During the night the "Huey Fong" carried out some erratic manoeuvres and at one stage she steamed away from Hong Kong for about two hours. However, by dawn she was back on a course for Waglan Island. An instruction was relayed to the ship both via Cable and Wireless and hy loud-hailer from HMS Wasperton that she was to anchor one mile south of Po Toi Island in a position in international waters just outside Hong Kong waters.
CONFIDENTIAL
機密
No comments yet.
Private notes are available after approval.