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22.
CONFIDENTIAL
7 -
機密
On 15th January the Policy Group considered
the likely procedure for the admittance of the "Huey Fong". It was agreed that the entry of the ship to Hong Kong should be preceded by a final instruction to the Master to sail to Taiwan. This would be done after the reprovisioning of the ship on Wednesday, 17th January. Thereafter he would be told that if in the light of all the circumstances he chose to enter Hong Kong, the vessel would not be physically barred from doing sc. The Director of Public Prosecutions advised that any suggestion that the Master was entering with the Government's permission would render it impossible to prosecute him for entering Hong Kong waters without permission. He also advised that unless the written statement to the Master made some reference to entry being subject to the provisions of the law, it could weaken the case for him being charged with carrying excess passengers.
23.
Subsequently, it was decided that the Government statement as finally agreed should be delivered to the Master by the Deputy Secretary for Security on board HMS Wasperton on 18th January.
24.
On 18th January, the Deputy Secretary for Security sailed in HMS Wasperton during the morning to the area of the "Huey Fong". At the same time it was learnt that U.S. officials would be meeting with the Taiwan Ministry of Foreign Affairs during the morning to discuss the "Huey Fong" and would telephone the results of their discussion later. The meeting with the Master was, therefore, postponed until the outcome of the U.S. approaches to Taiwan were known. In the event, the U.S. Embassy Taipei telephoned at about 12.30 hours and told the Assistant Political Adviser that the Taiwanese Government would not offer any advance assurances of temporary resettlement for the refugees. Instructions were issued for the meeting with the Master to go ahead. A full account of this meeting and of events leading up to the withdrawal of RN and Police vessels from the scene is in Annex D.
25.
At 1700 hours on 18th January the Master of the "Huey Fong" sent a message to Marine Department Port Control Centre via VHF Channel 14 saying that he had not received a reply to his telegram to Taiwan and that on receipt of a reply he would consider further what to do. On 19th January, over the dialy "medical hot line", the ship said "There will be no more medical reports. The doctors aboard have lost their hope completely".
26.
At 1730 hours on 19th January, the Master sent a message to Marine Department requesting permission to sail into Hong Kong. No reply was sent. At 1731 hours Police and Naval vessels reported that the "Huey Fong" was under way, and at 1733 hours they reported that she had entered the Square boundary. Marine Police and Naval Units closed up and at 1925 hours the ship anchored as instructed one mile north of Yau Y Chau. At 2100 hours a company of the Police Tactical Unit boarded the ship and took control.
CONFIDENTIAL
機密
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