TNAG-0897-FCO40-1107-Refugees-from-Vietnam-in-Hong-Kong-Vietnamese-boat-people-1979 — Page 48

CONFIDENTIAL

HKR 203/1

RESSTVED IN REGISTRY NO. 51

2 7 SEP 1979

GR 513

CONFIDENTIAL

FM HONG KONG 261055Z SEP 79

INDEX

TO PRIORITY FOREIGN AND COMMONWEALTH OFFICE

TELNO.1337 OF 26 SEPTEMBER,

INFO PRIORITY : HANOI,

OFFICER

A

1718

ROUTINE : WASHINGTON UKMIS GENEVA CANBERRA PEKING SINGAPORE

KUALA LUMPUR BANGKOK JAKARTA MANILA OTTAWA

UKMIS NEW YORK HONG KONG GOVT OFFICE LONDON.

MIPT: VIETNAMESE REFUGEES : NEW DEPARTURE TRENDS.

717

see 1728

729

1. INVESTIGATIONS IN HONG KONG HAVE REVEALED THE FOLLOWING

CIRCUMSTANCES CONCERNING TWO RECENT REFUGEE BOATS (HONG KONG ARRIVALS SERIALS LM921 AND LM932):

LM921

2. THIS 19 METRE-LONG JUNK WITH A 60-HP ENGINE ARRIVED ON 9 SEPTEMBER FROM NHA TRANG WITH 289 PASSENGERS, OF WHOM 254 WERE ETHNIC CHINESE. IT WAS BOUGHT FOR 250 TAELS OF GOLD FROM THE SONG THUY FISHING COMPANY IN NHA TRANG IN EARLY AUGUST

AND GIVEN THE -REGISTRATION NO.601 CA.

3. THE PURCHASER (ETHNIC CHINESE) HAD ALREADY BOUGHT A FISHING VESSEL PURCHASE PERMIT, SERIAL NUMBER 225/HS, FOR 10 TAELS FROM VO DUY HINH, AN OFFICIAL IN THE GOVERNMENT OFFICE AT 55 NGUYÊN THEO THUẬT VO ADVISED HIM THAT PERMISSION TO LEAVE

VIETNAM SHOULD BE ARRANGED WITH THE PUBLIC SECURITY OFFICE AT

22 PHẦN CỨU TRIỂN

THE PURCHASER WENT TO THIS BUILDING (WHICH HAD PREVIOUSLY

BEEN USED TO REGISTER ETHNIC CHINESE LEAVING VIETNAM) ON

15 AUGUST AND GAVE A NAME-LIST OF 254 PEOPLE WHO WISHED TO

LEAVE TO THE DEPUTY CHIEF OF THE OFFICE, HUYEN QUANG HINH.

HE WAS TOLD THAT PERMISSION TO LEAVE WOULD BE GRANTED FOR 400

TAELS. THIS WAS PAID TO HUYEN IN HIS OFFICE ON 25 AUGUST.

THERE WERE NO WITNESSES AND NO RECEIPT WAS GIVEN.

CONFIDENTIAL

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