G.F. 316
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A feature of arrivals in Hong Kong since early June has been an increasing proportion of refugees from southern Vietnam.
Total
Percentages
From N.Vietnam.
Ethnic
Chinese
Ethnic
Vietnamese
Total
From S. Vietnam
Ethnic Ethnic
Chinese Vietnamese
Total
April 6143
70
3
73
22
5
27
May
18688
64
8
72
17
11
28
+
June 19651
64
7
71
18
11
29
July
8797
56
6
62
26
12
38
The trend may in part be the result of the policy of Malaysia and Indonesia to deny entry to the refugees.
Two countries,
These actions
5.
A number of Western countries sent mercy or hospital ships to South-east Asia to rescue and assist refugees. the USA and Italy, have, since the Geneva conference, despatched warships to the South China Sea to rescue refugees. are likely to encourage more people to leave in the hope of being rescued with guaranteed resettlement,
6.
more significant feature of recent arrivals, however, is the reappearance of refugees who com e illegally from China, having
At least originally crossed the land border from northern Vietnam. eight boats which arrived in July carrying 1,433 persons, have been identified, or are strongly suspected, as having con e from Overseas or State Farms in the Pearl River area (where ethnic Chinese Vietnamese land crossers were resettled in 1972) or from Bei Hai in Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region.
Of this total, four groups, comprising 843 persons, have admitted coming from farms in the Pearl River area, using boats purchased in China. One group of 39 came in its own boat from Bei Hai,
Three where it admitted to having been resettled for four months. other groups, totalling 590 persons came via Bei Hai in boats bought in China and are strongly suspected of having been resettled there. On 1 August a boat arrived carrying 408 persons, one of whom has adm itted to having been resettled in Guangxi.
7.
1
This flow of arrivals from China is thought to have recommenced in mid-May, after apparently having ceased in early 1979, following diplomatic pressure. There are reports that 20,000 ethnic Chinese Vietnamese are at present camped near Bei Hai awaiting boats to con e to Hong Kong. Others resettled on farms in various provinces are also attempting to make their way to Bei Hai or the Pearl River area in order to obtain boats to con e to Hong Kong. China claims to have accepted at least 250, 000 ethnic Chinese from Vietnam and of these about 50, 000 have arrived since March, 1979.
These people
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