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RECEIVED IN REGISTRY NO. 51 07 FEB 1980
TJ RIORITY FOREIGN AND COMMONWEALTH OFFICE TELEGRAM NUMBER 210 OF 5 FEBRUARY, 1980 INFO PRIORITY PEKING AND HONG KONG GOVERNMENT OFFICE LONDON
PRESS STORY ON ILLEGAL IMMGIRATION:
DESK OFFER INDEX
W
PA
RELIQURY
Taken
27.2/A 12
1. TODAY'S SOUTH CHINA MORNING POST (SCMP) CARRIES AS ITS MAIN STORY A SENSATIONALISED ACCOUNT OF BRITISH SOLDIERS ON THE FRONTIER WATCHING A NIGHTLY HORROR SHOW OF CHINESE TROOPS USING DOGS TO SAVAGE ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS. ACCORDING TO THE ARTICLE SOLDIERS IN THE ROYAL GREEN JACKETS SAY THEY HAVE SEEN CAPTURED AND HANDCUFFED ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS BEING RELEASED IN ORDER TO BE CHASED AND SAVAGED BY DOGS. THE ARTICLE CONCLUDES BY QUOTING AN ARMY SPOKESMAN AS SAYING THAT HE KNEW NOTHING ABOUT THE CLAIMS AND A GOVERNMENT SPOKESMAN AS SAYING THAT, WHILE TRACKER DOGS ARE USED BY THE CHINESE TO CAPTURE ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS, THERE ARE
NO REPORTS OF ATTACKS ON THOSE WHO HAVE BEEN ATTACKED.
2. THE TWO SPOKESMEN ARE CORRECTLY QUOTED. WE HAVE NO (REPEAT NO)
REPORTS TO CONFIRM THE ACCOUNT IN THE ARTICLE THAT THOSE CAPTURED ON THE CHINESE SIDE OF THE BORDER ARE THEN DELIBERATELY RELEASED WITH DOGS IN PURSUIT. SO FAR AS WE KNOW, DOGS ARE ONLY USED IN CAPTURING ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS. THE SCMP STORY WAS PROBABLY BASED
ON 'PUB GOSSIP.
3. WE UNDERSTAND THAT A VERSION OF THE STORY HAS BEEN CARRIED BY A.P. SO FAR WE HAVE NO PRESS QUERIES. IF ASKED, WE WILL CONFIRM THAT WE HAVE NO EVIDENCE TO SUPPORT THE ALLEGATIONS IN
THE ARTICLE.
MACLEHOSE
FILES
HK rGD
UND
FED
PUSD
410
IPD
PS
NEWS.D
PS/LPS PS/MR BLAKER
PS PUS
SIR D. MAITLAND
MA CORTAZZI
MR MURARY
MIL STRATTON
LOAD NG, LENNOX
copy To:
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