TNAG-0890-FCO40-1100-Refugees-from-Vietnam-in-Hong-Kong-Vietnamese-boat-people-1979 — Page 141

GR 245

CONFIDENTIAL

CONFIDENTAL-

431

HKK 243/1

P.A.

HIDEX

FM HONG KONG 131031Z JUN

DESKBY - FCO 131108Z

TO IMMEDIATE F.C.0.

1097

୮

-%;

i

TELEGRAM NUMBER 783 OF 13 JUNE 1979

INFO IMMEDIATE JAKARTA AND KUALA LUMPUR

INFO ROUTINE MANILA, BANGKOK, SINGAPORE, UKMIS GENEVA, WASHINGTON,

CANBERRA, HANOI AND

HANOI AND HONG KONG GOVT, OFFICE LONDON.

seef 1111

(1113)

•

VIETNAMESE REFUGEES: CHANGES OF POLICY IN MALAYSIA AND INDONESIA.

1. WE HAVE SEEN FRESS REPORTS TODAY OF OFFICIAL ANNOUNCEMENTS BY MALAYSIA AND INDONESIA THAT THEY WILL NO LONGER GIVE TEMPORARY ASYLUM TO BOAT REFUGEES. IN THE CASE OF MALAYSIA THIS LARGELY CONFIRMS CURRENT PRACTICE, WHICH HAS CAUSED MUCH OF THE RECENT INCREASE IN ARRIVALS IN INDONESIA. (WE HAVE JUST SEEN JAKARTA TELNO 174 TO YOU).

2. AS SEEN FROM HERE, THE EFFECTS OF THESE NEW POLICIES ARE LIKELY TO INCLUDE:

A. INCREASED LOSS OF LIFE AT SEA:

B. BOATS BEACHING ON REMOTE ISLANDS WITHOUT SUPPLIES (SOME

*

MAY DIVERT TO THE PHILIPPINES, BUT FEW ARE LIKELY TO BE

ABLF TO REACH HONG KONG, OR AUSTRALIA)

C. MORE DEPARTURES FROM SOUTH VIETNAM TO HONG KONG, POSSIBLY

ON LARGER BOATS (E.G. THE HA LUNG'', A CONVERTED RIVER PATROL CRAFT

WHICH ARRIVED HERE AT EASTER):

D. INCREASED RELUCTANCE BY REFUGEES TO LEAVE ON SMALL BOATS, PARTICULARLY IF OCEAN-COING VESSELS REMAIN AN ALTERNATIVE: E. MORE SOUTHERNERS ATTEMPTING TO LEAVE VIA THE NORTH.

3. FOR OBVIOUS REASONS WE DO NOT WISH TO PUBLICIZE POINTS 'C' TO 'E' ABOVE.

CONFIDENTAL,

14. LOCAL PRESS