TNAG-0896-FCO40-1106-Refugees-from-Vietnam-in-Hong-Kong-Vietnamese-boat-people-1979 — Page 120

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5. YET IN THE COURSE OF THIS PROTRACTED TRIAL, WHICH BEGAN IN EARLY JUNE, DETAILED EVIDENCE REPEATEDLY SHOWED THAT THE VIETNAME AUTHORITIES WERE ALL ALONG A PARTY TO THE DECEPTION AND INTRIGUE BEHIND THE TRAFFIC IN REFUGEES, PROFIT LOOMED LARGE IN THEIR MOTIVES TOO, SINCE THE LION'S SHARE'' OF THE GOLD EXTRACTED FROM

THE FUGITIVES BEFORE THEY SAILED ON THE HUEY FONG WENT TO THE VIETNAM GOVERNMENT OR ITS EMPLOYEES.

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6. ONE OF THE MOST MEMORABLE SCENES DESCRIBED TO THE COURT WAS SET IN A PRIVATE BUILDING IN HO CHI MINH CITY (FORMER SAIGON), WHERE

VIETNAMESE OFFICIALS WERE SAID TO HAVE SAT ROUND A TABLE COUNTING AND WEIGHING PILES OF GOLD, JEWELLERY AND OTHER VALUABLES.

7. AMONG THE ACCUSED, THE THREE BUSINESSMEN LO WING, CHENG YAT-YING AND TIET KUOC-LIEN WERE IDENTIFIED BY THE JUDGE AS THE

CHIEF VILLAINS OF THIS CONSPIRACQ TO DEFRAUD THE HONG KONG COVERNMENT BY BRINGING THE REFUGEES IN BY ILLEGAL PRETENCE. THEY ALL GOT SEVEN-YEAR PRISON TERMS, WITH FINES OF H.K DOLLARS 50,000 (ABOUT £5000) APIECE.

THE CAPTAIN, WHO HAD. ADMITTED THE CONSPIRACY CHARGE AND WHO IN ADDITION WAS FOUND GUILTY OF BEING IN CHARGE OF A VESSEL CARRYING EXCESS PASSENGERS, WAS SENT DOWN FOR 6 1/2 YEARS. LO WING'S SON, LO KWOK-WAH, GOT FIVE YEARS, SENTENCES IMPOSED ON THE SHIP'S OFFICERS RANGED FROM 4 1/2 YEARS TO 15 MONTHS.

9 a THE JUDGE ORDERED THE FORFEITURE TO THE CROWN OF THE BULK OF THE 3,273 TAELS OF GOLD WHICH WERE FOUND HIDDEN IN THE SHIP'S

ENGINE ROOM.

10.

EVIDENCE GIVEN IN THE EARLY STAGES OF THE TRIAL SHOWED THAT, SINCE LAST OCTOBER IF NOT EARLIER, THE VIETNAM GOVERNMENT HAD TAKEN PART ACTIVELY IN THE ORGANISATION OF THE REFUGEE TRAFFIC, AND HAD FREQUENTLY PLAYED THE ROLE OF PACE-SETTER AND CO-ORDINATOR,

SHOWING DISTINCT IMPATIENCE WHEN ITS OVERSEAS CHINESE CONTACTS APPEARED SLOW IN ARRANGING SHIPPING.

11. THERE WERE ALSO INDICATIONS THAT THE VIETNAM AUTHORITIES CONDUCTED THE TRADE AT A SENIOR LEVEL WITHIN THEIR OWN CADRES, THOUGH ALSO USING SHADOWY GO-BETWEENS IN THEIR DEALINGS WITH THE INTERNATIONAL RACKETEERS WHO LAID ON THE TRANSPORTATION.

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