SCR 1/4731/49
CONFIDENTIAL
Pecord of Meeting between MONA
and APA on & October 1979 at pm.
Vietnamese Refugees resettled in China
Mr Tan colled at my request and was accompanied by Miss Guan Huiping, as note Laker. I passed Mr Tan repuris (copies attached) on two further boats bringing refugee: vho had been settled i. China (LM.902 and LM 904), together with name-lists for six boats (IM 87%, 97, 976, 208, 904 and $10). I added that no refugee vessels from either north or south had reached Hong Kong from 15 September to the end of the month, although a boat from Southem Viechan had arrived on 2 October. Although bad weather was partly responsible for the lul in arrivals, in so far as measures taken by the Chinese authorizes hat helped extremely grateful. Mr Tan confirmed that very strict instructions had gone to local officials to stop boats leaving for Hong Kong. (I subsequently told Mr Tan on 4 October that a boat with 12y refugees had arrived the day before which icoked as if it hed perhaps come from Pinysha or Beihai. I would send him a report as soon as possible.)
20
We were
I told Mr Tan we wore keen to have further groups repatriated, emphasising the security problems we had with the large nurbers involved now that they suspected they might be returned. Mr Tan said he did not yet have dates for u further group, but indicated that he say no difficulty in principle. The detailed information on the former place of settlement provided in the name-lists prepared by Immigration Department were extremely helpful.
Illegal Immigration
3.
I gave Mr Tan the Septemver figures for illegals repatriated (5,339), together with a graph showing repatri- ation numbers since November 1974 and mans giving the numbers arrested by sector in Hong Kong for 23 to 30 September and for the whole of September. I pointed cut the discrepancy between the September arrest figure (5,394) and the number repatriated was due to the fact rhai come arres is subsequenti y turned out to be Hong Kong residents and there was often a delay in returning those arrested, especially when numbers were high or when some hospital treatment was required.
Note. This is a point to watch: When numbers are high any discrepancies between arrest and repatriation figures can be glossed over, but over a longer period or with smaller numbers, it will be best only to pass to the NCNA and to use publicly the repatriation figures.7
CONFIDENTIAL
2/4.