CONFIDENTIAL
機密
61.
62.
(a)
(b)
(c)
17
In retrospect, several mistakes were made:
A more detailed report of the medical condition of the refugees and of conditions on board the ship should have been obtained on 24th December;
the presence of the medical team and police on board should have been used to infiltrate other elements into the ship, including C.I.D. and Marine officers, to make their own assessment of the position. The absence of a Government presence to provide first hand reports from the ship later proved to be a handicap but this has to be set against the fact that the ship was not in Hong Kong;
steps should have been taken to ensure that those on board heard about the Government's intentions though there is no evidence that they failed to get radio news. Even so a number of radio receivers should have been put on the ship soon after it anchored and newspapers should have been delivered regularly.
With the advantage of hindsight it can be seen that from the purely health point of view, the Government could have held on for a longer period, because when the ship did enter harbour the health of the refugees was found to be good. Furthermore, the weather remained calm. In fact only seven persons were admitted to hospital. Had the ship been held longer, the deterrent effect would have been greater.
63.
The authorities in Taiwan made it clear that they would not take the ship if it arrived at Kaohsiung. This made it impossible to persuade the ship to sail, although it seems probable that cpinion on board was divided as to what they should do.
64.
It is for consideration whether a longer initial period without supplies, coupled with a threat to bar entry to the harbour, would persuade another ship in similar circumstances to sail for its first scheduled port of call.
What did emerge from dealing with the "Huey Fong" was the need to achieve an early initiative on first arrival. The longer such a ship remains the less likely it becomes to persuade it to sail.
65.
Finally the whole operation would become impossible in a typhoon and difficult should a typhoon be in the offing.
Political Conclusions
66.
The Government's reiteration of the first port of call principle in handling the "Huey Fong" seems likely to lead any other ships of this scrt to ensure that Hong Kong is scheduled as
CONFIDENTIAL
機密
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