IDNTIAL
FM HANOI 2807302 NOV 73
CONFIDENTIAL
TEL NO.197 OF 28 NOVEMBE
TO PTY FCO AND PTY HONG KONG (EPEAR AND IMMIC
AND RTNE HONG KONG GOVT OFFICE LONDON.
BOAT PEOPLE.
HKK 243/1
RECEIVED IN WARS 19. 51 3.0′ NOV 1973
DEK
INDEX
No
316
RY
PA
Acton 1 Aon
1. OBTAINED FOLLOWING INFO FROM REILLY SECOND SEC(CONS AND ADMIN) AT THE AUSTRALIAN EMBASSY HANO! WHO VISITED HCM CITY SECOND WEEK OF NOVEMBER AND MET VIETNAMESE OFFICIALS AND MEMBERS OF THE CHINESE COMMUNITY,
2. ON 9 NOV APPROX 383 BOAT PEOPLE DROWNED WHEN THEIR VESSEL FOUNDERED OFF VIETNAMESE COAST.
3. ON 15 NOV A BOAT WITH 1200-1500 PEOPLE SAILED FROM
A POINT S MILES UP THE SAIGON RIVER, PROBABLY BOUND FOR
DARWIN.
4.THREE SOURCES AMONGST THE CHINESE IN HCM CITY STATED THAT STATED THAT 20,000 BOAT PEOPLE WERE EXPECTED TO LEAVE VIETNAM
DURING NOV.
Q
5.THE VAST MAJORITY OF BOAT PEOPLE NOW LEAVE WITH OFFICIAL PERMISSION ALTHOUGH A PEY STILL SAIL WITHOUT AUTHORITY MOST OF THE FORMER ARE OF CHINESE ORIGIN. HOWEVER A LIMITED NUMBER PEOPLE OF VIETNAMESE ORIGIN ARE NOW ALLOWED TO LEAVE. REILLY MET A VIETNAMESE AIR HOSTESS WHO (2 GRS UNDEC) WAS ABOUT TO SAIL WITH HER FAMILY OF FOUR, HAVING PAID EIGHT TAELS OF GOLD PER HEAD TO VIETNAMESE OFFICIALS.
6.ONE OF THE FUNCTIONS OF THE CADRES INFILTRATED AMONGST
THE BOAT PEOPLE IS TO IDENTIFY THOSE WHO ARE TRAVELLING WITHOUT
AUTHORITY.
7.REFUGEE DEBRIEFS CONDUCTED BY THE AUSTRALIANS INDICATE A
MORTALITY RATE OF 62 % AMONGST BOAT PEOPLE.
8.THE AUSTRALIAN FOREIGN MINISTRY ASKED THE VIETNAMESE AMBAS-
DOR IN CANBERRA WHETHER IS GOVT WAS ARRANGING THE EXODUS OF THE BOAT PEOPLE.HE (GRP UNDEC ?DOUBTED) THIS BUT CONCEDED IT MIGHT BE ORGANISED BY CORRUPT LOW LEVEL OFFICIALS,
9.AN OFFICIAL IN THE CONSULAR DEPT OF EXT AFFAIRS IN HCM CITY TOLD REILLY THE VIETNAMESE WD NOT GIVE EXIT PERMITS TO PEOPLE WISHING TO JOIN RELATIVES OVERSEAS WHERE THE RELATIVES LEFT VIETNAM AFTER 32 Phil 1975,
CONFIDENTIAL
/30. I HAVE