TNAG-0892-FCO40-1102-Refugees-from-Vietnam-in-Hong-Kong-Vietnamese-boat-people-1979 — Page 70

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These laws between them do give the Hong Kong Government adequate powers to take action against those responsible for organising refugee trips for profit, provided they can be caught. The trial of the captain and a number of other people involved in the case of the Huey Fong, which brought 3,400 refugees to Hong Kong in January, is now going on. Charges are also being prepared against the captain of the Skyluck which arrived in Hong Kong in February with 2,600 refugees on board. The captain and crew of a third ship, the Sen On, abandoned the vessel shortly before it was beached on an outlying island of Hong Kong at the beginning of June, with over 1,000 refugees on board. They have so far evaded arrest. However, the Hong Kong Government have managed to trace and arrest at least two people in Hong Kong believed to have been involved in the vessel's journey from Vietnam.

There appear to be a number of international syndicates involved in the refugee trade with contacts not only in Hong Kong but also in Taiwan, Macau, Singapore and Thailand. The Hong Kong police keep a very close watch on Hong Kong residents suspected of involvement and take action whenever they obtain evidence that Hong Kong laws are being broken. But it is very difficult to get evidence which will stand up in court.

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