* * ཀླ
BY BAG
布政司署
池下亞
畢道
* OUR REF.: CR 4/2091/78
YOUR Ref.:
DR Snoxell Esq UKMIS GENEVA
RESTRICTED
#ва)
GOVERNMENT SECRETARIAT
LOWER ALBERT ROAD
HONG KONG
HKK 243/4
RECEIVED IN REGISTRY NO. 51
13 JUN 1980
DESK OFFICER INDEX
PA
RECISTRY Action Taken
Aw 13/6
6 June 1980
увь
Dear David,
REFUGEES FROM VIETNAM
I greatly enjoyed the opportunity to see you and Keith MacInnes on my way back to Hong Kong. Thank you for making the arrangements, at a time when you and they were extremely busy, for the calls on UNHCR officials.
2.
I arrived back to Hong Kong to find that the figures for recent arrivals had increased considerably with local concern growing. As an example, I enclose the South China Morning Post editorial of 31 May. You will have seen our telegrams reporting the May figures and also explaining the extremely disturbing resurgence of Vietnamese refugees leaving China for Hong Kong. You might be interested in some background on the latter problem which we did not include in the telegram. Quite a number of those who were found to have come back after being repatriated in January were very easily identified by Immigration officers who immediately recognised them on disembarkation at the Government dockyard and greeted them as 'old friends'. Some were even wearing the same winter clothing they had been given in Chi Ma Wan. We also learned that a number of other double backers had raised the 130 RMB charge for a place on the boat by selling the clothing they had been given while in detention.
3.
Amongst the messages taken back by those we returned in January were satisfaction with the conditions at Chi Ma Wan. Both adequate food and the lack of necessity to work contrasted with conditions in China. At any rate the conditions in detention were no deterrent. Furthermore, word quickly spread of some people not being returned because they had relatives overseas, as we feared and had told the local UNHCR office. This has resulted in those with any sort of family connection overseas considering leaving illegally for Hong Kong. But coming on boats on which the great majority are ethnic Chinese originally from North Vietnam with no overseas contacts.
4.
It is important to us that far greater progress should be made by UNHCR with, potential resettlement countries over,
RESTRICTED
/refugees.
•