ARS HOO
CONFIDENTIAL
CONFIDENTIAL
нак зні
RECEIVED IN REGISTRY NO. $1 2 8 NOV 1979
DESK OFFICLE
INDEX
PA
3
HONG KONG 27110SZ NOV 79
T PRIORITY FCO
T.LEGRAM NUMBER 1666 OF 27 NOVEMBER
11 FO PRIORITY PEKING
по
J28.1
28
245
IFC ROUTINE MOD UK (DS11) HONG KONG GOVT OFFICE LONDON.
241
MYTELNO 1646: ILLEGAL IMMIGRATION FROM CHINA,
22/24
THE 24 HOUR ARREST FIGURES FOR THE PAST 5 DAYS TO 0600 LOCAL TODAY
HAVE BEEN : 206, 277, 447, 413, 522. THE DAILY AVERAGE OVER
T: ESE 5 DAYS HAS BEEN 373. THE PATTERN OF ARRIVAL HAS FLUCTUATED
WITH THE LARGEST NUMBER COMING BY SEA FROM COUNTIES BOTH TO THE
EAST AND WEST OF HONG KONG. HOWEVER, THERE HAVE STILL BEEN
CONSIDERABLE NUMBERS OM FLOTATION DEVICES ACROSS DEEP DAY AND A
STEADY INCREASE IN ARRESTS ON THE LAND BORDER (156 IN THE LATEST PERIOD),
2. THE NCNA HAVE SHOWN CONSIDERABLE CONCERN AT THE LATEST FIGURES BUT HAVE NOT YET PROVIDED ANY DETAILED INFORMATION ON ARRESTS ON
THE CHINESE SIDE. WHEN THE ACTING POLITICAL ADVISER ASKED IF THERE
WAS EVIDENCE OF MORE PEOPLE MAKING REPEATED ATTEMPTS, TAN GAN THOUGHT THIS MIGHT BE POSSIBLE. HE ADDED THAT WHILE THERE HAD BEEN
WELL PUBLICISED COURT CASES WITH HEAVY SENTENCES FOR PEOPLE
ORGANIZING ILLEGAL DEPARTURES, THERE WAS A 'RATHER LENIENT POLICY TOWARDS INDIVIDUAL ELLEGAL IMMIGRANTS, WHETHER ARRESTED ON THE CHINESE SIDE OR REPATRIATED. THE EMPHASIS
*
VAS ON RE-EDUCATION RATHER THEN HARSH PUNISHMENT SINCE THE PROBLEM
WAS SEEN AS ONE OF A CONTRADICTION AMONGST THE PEOPLE'. THERE
IS NO EVIDENCE TO SUPPORT THE CLAIM IN THE CURRENT ISSUE OF THE
ECONOMIST THAT CHINA HAS NOW INCREASED THE STANDARD PUNISHMENT
FOR ATTEMPTS TO 5 YEARS HARD LABOUR, AND ITS BORDER GUARDS SHOOT TO KILL''.
J. THERE IS EVIDENCE OF INCREASING ACTIVITY AND ARRESTS ON THE
CHINESE SIDE OF THE BORDER, OUR PRESENT VERY ROUGH ESTIMATE IS
PAT UP TO 1,500 PEOPLE IN THE AREA CLOSE TO THE BORDER ARE ATTEMPTING TO LEAVE EACH DAY WITH 400 TO 500 BEING ARRESTED IN EACH SIDE AND THE REMAINING ONE THIRD REACHING BASE HERE.
254
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