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26.
Ethnic Chinese in Southern Vietnam have told their relatives
overseas that they are still waiting to leave, either officially or secretly,
but that their proposed departure date is continually being postponed by the
Public Security Bureau. Some plan to make their way overland through
Cambodia to refugee camps in Thailand, the departure fee for this route
being two taels of gold or an equivalent in dong. Some Vietnamese
Chinese in Hong Kong believe that there are about 10,000 persons (both
Chinese and Vietnamese) in towns between Cam Ranh Bay and Da Nang who hope
to come. to Hong Kong in the near future. Money agents in Hong Kong remain
active.
27.
The 9,800 ton M.V. FU THONG, which had been waiting in the Gulf
of Siam off Cambodia since 11 January while negotiations took place between
syndicate organisers and intermediaries in Vietnam, sailed for Taiwan on
18 February and is now in Kaosiung. The ship had hoped to collect 8,000
ethnic Chinese stranded in Ben Tre Province from two earlier aborted ship
departures in 1979 but a crew mutiny may have forced the master to abandon
the attempt. Other overseas Chinese refugee ship syndicate organisers
continue with contingency plans to run large ships because of potentially
large monetary rewards.
28..
on the
Information from various other sources as to the intentions
of the Vietnamese Government is conflicting and reliable prediction
is difficult. On the one hand, there is the evidence of planning referred
to in the previous paragraphs, together with the preparations being made
for the departure of large numbers of small and medium sized boats;
other, Vietnamese Government spokesmen reiterate that the embargo will be
maintained. However, they do so with some equivocation, since they also
refer to the organised departure scheme and hint that, unless this
results in the departure of the many thousands nominated by the
Vietnamese Government, the unofficial departures might be resumed.
LIC Hong Kong March 1980
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