GR 230 COMFIDENTIAL
ESKBY 261330Z
FM HONG KONG 061255Z AUG
CONFIDENTIAL
AKK
TO IMMEDIATE FOREIGN AND COMMONWEALTH OFFICE TELEGRAM NUMBER 1113 OF 6 AUGUST 1979
AND 243/1
INFO PRIORITY PEKING, UKMIS GENEVA, WASHINGTON, AND HONG KONG GOVERNMENT OFFICE LONDON.
"RUDDBANK"
to Auba 1/8 по
1. WE HAVE ONLY TODAY RECEIVED MESSAGE FROM BANK LINEWESSEL, ''RUNDDBANK' ON PASSAGE FROM BILBAO TO SHANGHAI STATING THAT SHE HAS RESCUED AT 4.3 DEGREES NORTH 109.4 DEGREES. EAST 124 VIETNAMESE REFUGEES CLAIMED TO HAVE BEEN AT RISK FOR 11 DAYS. THE RESCUE IS SAID TO HAVE TAKEN PLACE ON 4 AUGUST AT 39.20 AT POSITION 400 MILES OFF SINGAPORE, WITHIN 200 MILES OF KUCHING AND OVER 1,400 MILES FROM HONG KONG. TWO REFUGEE CHILDREN HAVE SINCE DIED ON BOARD.
2. HONG KONG IS NEITHER FIRST PORT OF CALL NOR NEAREST PORT OF REFUGE. THE SHIP HAS NEVERTHELESS REQUESTED PERMISSION TO ENTER HONG KONG PRESUMABLY FOR ITS OWN CONVENIENCE.
3. PERMISSION TO ENTER HAS BEEN DENIED AND RUDDBANK HAS BEEN DIRECTED TO ANCHOR 2 MILES SOUTH OF PO TOI ISLAND, JUST OUTSIDE HONG KONG WATERS. E.T.A. IS 0800 LOCAL TIME 7 AUGUST. MEDICAL ASSISTANCE HAS BEEN REQUESTED AND WILL BE PROVIDED ON ARRIVAL WHEN SHIP WILL ALSO BE BOARDED BY POLICE, MARINE
AND IMMIGRATION AUTHORITIES.
4. YOU WILL UNDERSTAND THAT THIS VESSELL POSES A PROBLEM AND
APPEARS TO BE ENDEAVOURING TO STRETCH THE PORT OF REFUGE PRINCIPLE, IN OUR ALREADY CROWDED CIRCUMSTANCES, THIS IS SOMETHING WHICH WE SHALL OBVIOUSLY HAVE TO SEEK TO RESIST..
MACLEHOSE
FILES
SEAD
PS
X & GD
UND
FED
EESD
NAM D
SAD
PS/LPS
PS/MR HURD PS/MR BLAKER
FS/PUS
SIR A DUFF
SIR A PARSONS MR CORTAZZI
MR MURRAY
MR SPRATTON
ADDITIONAL DISTRIBUTION EOAT FEOPLE
MAED
EID
PUSD
OID
IPD
MEX BULLARD
NEWS D
MVD
MR FRETWELL
CONFIDENTIAL
રાવ
ра
519 Aw
ee 522
530
Page 330Page 331
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