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Most of
Tha
This is more than double the amount remitted in any other month. these dollare will be goed to finance the departure of othnie Chinode. International Red Cross Representative has told me that he believes the
Although he says current departure rate of refugees is some 2,000 per day.
It damn well, this is based on information from ethnic Chinese, I think it is probably a great exaggeration: it would be hard to organise these numbers, let alone isn't!
Tay hands on enough boats to transport them. Another figure from the same Дви
source, which I believe to be more accurate, is tliat 70% of the boat refugees
This is a considerable increase perish before reaching their destinations.
This
the most seisont and significant stutenent I have seen
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t
on the figure of 50% which I reported in my Saving Tel No 4 of 27 October 1978. It seems probable that the increased flow of refugees has led to the use of even less seaworthy bouts than before, and that the preparation for voyages is even more inadequate.
5.
What I consider to be proof of the present determination of the Vietnamese authorities to get rid of the vast majority of the ethnic Chinese from this country was given to me in strict confidence by the Representative of the
He told me that the Head of International Red Cross here (please protect). the Consular Department of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs who is responsible for emigration matters, Vu Hoang, had summoned him to the Ministry last month and told him bluntly that Vietnam wished to get rid of the remaining ethnic Chinese as quickly as possible. Hoang estimated the number to be between 800,000 and 1.2 million, ie asked for the cooperation of the International Red Cross in this work as, he said, the UNHCR would probably confine their help to family reunification cases. Hoang mentioned the USA and Taiwan as possible countries of settlement, suggesting that the USA should return to what he claimed was a plan to accept two million Vietnamese "who collaborated with the Americans and the Thieu regime". Needless to say the IRC Representative has subsequently on instruction refused to assist.
I
6. I have in the past, emphasized the enormous scale of the numbers of potential ethnic Chinese refugees from Vietnam (my l'el No 206 of 7 December 1978). But in the past it could be argued that Vietnamese concern for world opinion might influence them in the direction of moderating the flow of refugees. believe that the current Vietnamese obsession with China and their perception of their own security interests now largely outweighs consideration of world opinion. Of course Vietnam is happy to say at the current Meeting in Indonesia (as reported on the Voice of America) that she will cooperate in an effort to stem the exodus of refugees. But I do not think this means any more than that she will play her part in any scheme for a more regular flow of refugees from Vietnam. I believe she will, however, at the same time continue to do everything
I in her power to ret rid of ethnic Chinese from Vietnam by any other means. put this to De Haan when he was last in Hanoi (my Saving Tel No 3 of 5 March) and he took the line that if a legal alternative to the present exodus was introduced, the pressure to leave "illegally" on boats or ships would decrease. I thought at the time that De Haan was talking dangerously optimistic nonsence,
It seems to me that Vietnam intends and am even more convinced of this now.
to have her cake and eat it viz. a legal scheme or schemes of emigration arranged by the UNHCR and anyone else, plus an illegal exodus as at present. She will also, in her serious economic condition, attempt to make as much money out of this as possible by continuing to charge refugees in gold for leaving Vietnam. You will also note that the figure of 500,000 given by the
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