SCR 1/4731/49
DESK OFFICER
At the reques
INDEX
PA he PA, Mr
REGISTRY Action Taken
CONFIDENTIAL
HKCK 341|1
RECEIVED IN REGISTRY NO. 51
Record of May 1980ng with the NCNA
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abord, lower hey exchange.
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(LED)
Y. M
p.a.
75.
TAN Gan and Mr. LI Ruo He attended Aw 14151
a meeting in the Government Secretaride on 27 April. I was also present.
Illegal Immigration
2.
Mr. TAN said that, following his visit to Hong Kong, Vice -Governor
WANG had convened a meeting of officials from the border districts. At the
meeting additional measures to counter illegal emigration were decided on.
These included the strengthening of forces on the border and the despatch
of 7 officials to Dongguan County. The improvement in the weather made such
measures even more necessary. One problem in the Haifeng coastal area was the
shortage of patrol boats. Nevertheless, in general, the Chinese security
forces were having considerable success in intercepting illegal emigrants :
since the beginning of the year over 55,000, which included those returned
by the Hong Kong authorities, had been apprehended.
Request for return of 3 illegal immigrants
3.
PA explained the Hong Kong Government's decision, which was also
set out in a bout de papier passed to Mr. Tan. The incident in which a
Chinese attendant on the through train had been attacked had taken place
in Hong Kong and there could therefore be no question of returning those
believed to be responsible (who had now been traced) to China unless
they were first brought before a Hong Kong court and convicted. The Hong
Kong Government was anxious to do this since, like the Chinese Government,
it wished to stamp out the use of violence by illegal immigrants. However,
it needed the assistance of the Chinese authorities in making available
the railway staff who had witnessed the incident to attend an identity parade
and to give statements to a Hong Kong Police Officer. If the evidence appeared
sufficient, the suspects could then be charged and taken to court, at which
the presence of the witnesses would again be necessary. The finding of the
court could not of course be guaranteed. Mr. Tan was doubtful whether his
authorities would agree to this. It would create an important precedent
and he asked again whether the three persons concerned could not simply be
returned to China forthwith (as in the case of ZHENG Geng). Alternatively
could the necessary statements not be made in China, if necessary before a
member of the British Embassy? PA said that the circumstances relating to
ZHENG were quite different and he did not think that statements made in China
would meet the purpose. He urged that the Chinese authorities give careful
CONFIDENTIAL
/ consideration to