TNAG-0887-FCO40-1097-Refugees-from-Vietnam-in-Hong-Kong-Vietnamese-boat-people-1979 — Page 22

CONFIDENTIAL

852

R 375

CONFIDENTIAL

FM HONG KONG 310915Z MAY 79

HKK 243/1

RECEIVED IN REGIDAY 10. 51

TO PRIORITY FOREIGN AND COMMONWEALTH OFFICE-

TELNO.695 OF 31 MAY,

INFO HONG KONG GOVT OFFICE LONDON.

DESK OPCAS

INDEX

PA

OPERATING LIMITS FOR R.N VESSELS HONG KONG.

1. UNDER EXISTING DIRECTIONS FROM THE MINISTER OF DEFENCE THE GEOGRAPHICAL LIMITS FOR OPERATIONS BY R.N VESSELS ARE AS FOLLOWS:-

(A) THE SQUARE BOUNDARY IS THE FINITE OPERATING LIMIT FOR

(B)

(C)

R.N SHIPS IN HONG KONG WATERS:

APPROACH BY SEA TO HONG KONG CAN ONLY BE MADE FROM THE

SOUTH EAST:

THE ONLY EXCEPTION TO (A) IS THAT R.N VESSELS HAVE A RIGHT OF PASSAGE WITHIN ONE MILE OF THE WEST COAST OF LANTAU ISLAND AND ONE MILE TO THE SOUTH OF THE SOKO ISLANDS.

2. THE EFFECT OF THIS IS THAT WITH INCREASING NUMBERS OF VIETNAMESE REFUGEE BOATS ARRIVING FROM THE WEST, MANY FROM MACAU, AND WITH THE POSSIBILITY OF ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS FROM CHINA NOW IN MACAU TRYING TO ENTER HONG KONG, THE R.N IS UNABLE TO TAKE ACTION ON THE WESTERN BOUNDARY UNTIL IT IS ALMOST TOO LATE.

·

3. A CASE IN POINT IS THE ARRIVAL OF THE M.V 'SEN ON WHICH BEACHED

ITSELF ON LANTAU ON 26TH MAY. THIS VESSEL WAS ONLY IDENTIFIED

WHEN IT ARRIVED AT THE SOKO ISLAND TO THE SOUTH OF LANTAU.

4. WE ARE NOW FINDING THAT THE MACAU AUTHORITIES ARE SENDING REFUGEES ON TO HONG KONG IN QUITE WELL FOUND VESSELS. FOR EXAMPLE

WE HAVE JUST HAD A MOTORISED BARGE CARRYING 350. WE HAD PREVIOUSLY ACCEPTED THAT IT WAS PROBABLY IMPOSSIBLE TO RETURN SMALLER OVERLADEN JUNKS FULL OF VIETNAMESE REFUGEES, BUT THE PROSPECT OF THE ARRIVAL OF LARGER VESSELS ALTERS THE POSITION, ESPECIALLY IF THEY ARE SEAWORTHY ENOUGH TO MAKE THE-VOYAGE BACK TO MACAU.

CONFIDENTIAL

5. WE SHOULD