5.
The Master of the Huey Fong brought his vessel to Hong Kong even though Hong Kong was not his next scheduled port of call and he had been told in advance that he should not go there. He ignored repeated instructions to continue to his original destination in Taiwan. After the vessel had remained at anchor outside Hong Kong. for a month, the Hong Kong Government felt obliged for humanitarian reasons to allow the refugees to land. In the meantime, however, they had introduced tough new legislation against the illegal carriage of refugees, and charges have been brought against the Master and other people connected with the vessel's voyage. If convicted the Master faces up to four years in gaol, a heavy fine and the confiscation of his vessel.
6.
Unfortunately this new legislation did not deter the owners of the Skyluck, which appears to have taken its load of refugees on board as soon as it became known that the Huey Fong refugees had been allowed to land in Hong Kong. The Hong Kong Government have,. however, made it known that their policy of accepting refugees only. applies to those genuinely rescued at sea, and so far those on the Skyluck have not been allowed to land (though it would in any case be difficult for the Hong Kong Government to allow the Skyluck refugees to land at present, if only because of accommodation problems see para 12 below).
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7. No further ocean-going vessels have arrived in Hong Kong since the Skyluck. A combination of the Hong Kong legislation, the refusal so far to allow the Skyluck passengers to land, and the efficient intelligence system about potential refugee-carrying vessels which has been developed, may have convinced those involved in the racket to change their methods. But it is too soon to be certain.
Vietnamese Complicity
8. On 28 February, a senior FCO official gave the Vietnamese Ambassador in London a piece of paper setting out the evidence of Vietnamese Government complicity in the organisation of the Huey Fong and Skyluck refugees. The British Ambassador in Hanoi made representations in similar terms.
/Refugees Arriving via China.
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