TNAG-0894-FCO40-1104-Refugees-from-Vietnam-in-Hong-Kong-Vietnamese-boat-people-1979 — Page 148

CONFIDENTIAL

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7.

THE POSITION IS CONFUSED BY THE FACT THAT THE VESSEL MAY HAVE USED ANOTHER NAME WHEN IN A VIETNAMESE PORT, EITHER ''MIN HAI NO.1'' OR ''MIN HAI NO.2'' (HONG KONG TELNO.901 REFERS).

8. IT IS POSSIBLE THAT THE ACTION TAKEN BY YOU AND HANOI OVER THE 'SEA VIEW** AND THE 'MIN HAI NO.1'', TOGETHER WITH THE IMPENDING CONFERENCE, RESULTED IN THE VIETNAMESE AUTHORITIES COMPELLING THE SHIP TO MAKE A ''FORCED SAILING'' ON 13 JULY. BUT IN CASE THIS ASSESSMENT IS OPTIMISTIC WE SHALL TAKE NO CHANCES AND BE PREPARED FOR THE WORST (1.E THAT IT IS LADEN WITH REFUGEES AND BOUND FOR HONG KONG, OR THAT IT WILL, BY ARRANGEMENT, PICK UP REFUGEES AT SEA) UNTIL WE ARE ABSOLUTELY SURE THAT THIS IS NOT THE CASE. WHAT IS CLEAR IS THAT THE BLAND DISAVOWAL OF THE VIETNAMESE AUTHORITIES (PARA.2 ABOVE) MUST HAVE BEEN A LIE.

9.

WE SHALL REPORT AGAIN AS SOON AS WE HAVE FURTHER INFORMATION.

MACLEHOSE

FILES SEAD

HK & GD

UND

NEWS D M & VD PS PS/LPS

MR FERGUSSON

ADDITIONAL DISTN

MR FRETWELL

BOAT PEOPLE

FED

EESD

NAM D

SAD

EID

PUSD OID IPD

PS/MR HURD PS/MR BLAKER

PS/PUS

SIR A DUFF

SIR A PARSONS MR CORTAZZI

MR MURRAY

MR STRATTON

LORD N G LENNOX

MR BULLARD

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CONFIDENTIAL