HKK 341
CONFIDENTIAL
7 NOS WER
TOP COPY
GFS 950
CONFIDENTIAL
DESKBY 058902Z
no 180.11
Ai 10/1
FM HONG KONG Ø505ØØZ NOV -82
TO IMMEDIATE FCO
TELEGRAM NUMBER 1459 OF 5 NOVEMBER
INFO PRIORITY PEKING HONG KONG GOVT OFFICE LONDON
FOR GOVERNOR THROUGH CLIFT HK GD.
ILLEGAL IMMIGRATION ( OPERATION CHAMPION)
SITUATION AT 1700 HOURS 4 NOVEMBER 1980 LOCAL TIME.
ARRESTS ON BORDER AND AT SEA.
THERE WAS NO SURGE OF ARRIVALS FOLLOWING THE ANNOUNCEMENT OR
DURING THE SPECIAL REGISTRATION PERIOD 24-26 OCTOBER.
2. THE NUMBERS HAVE SINCE FALLEN SHARPLY. DAILY FIGURES 24
OCTOBER -4 NOVEMBER INCLUSIVE WERE 647, 512, 287, 144, 43, 38, 112
(80 ON 2 JUNKS) 35, 56, 17, 45, 94 (63 IN 2 SAMPANS). THOSE CROSSING BY LAND (THE ROUTE MOST SENSITIVE TO THE ANNOUNCEMENT)
HAVE AVERAGED LESS THAN 20 A DAY IN THE 8 DAYS SINCE 26 OCTOBER.
REACTION IN THE COMMUNES.
3. INTERVIEWS WITH THE RELATIVELY SMALL NUMBERS OF THOSE ARRESTED
ON ARRIVAL HAVE PRODUCED VARYING NEWS AND VIEWS INCLUDING:
(A) THOSE CUTSIDE THE RANGE OF HONG KONG RADIO AND TV (E G IN HAIFONG) WERE UNAWARE OF THE NEW POLICY. SOME FROM THESE AREAS SAY
THEY WOULD NOT HAVE SET OFF HAD THEY KNOWN:
(B) THOSE LIVING NEAR THE BORDER WERE AWARE OF IT, EITHER FROM HONG KONG MEDIA, LETTERS AND PHONE CALLS FROM RELATIVES, RUMOURS AND
NEWS ITEMS CARRIED BY THE CHINESE MEDIA:
(C) OF THOSE WHO WERE AWARE, MANY ABANDONED PLANS TO LEAVE. SOME
STUCK TO THEIR INTENTIONS IN THE BELIEF THAT THE REPORTS WERE YET
MORE RUMOURS, WHILE OTHERS PERSISTED IN COMING BECAUSE THEY THOUGHT
THAT EVEN A JOBLESS LIFE UNDERGROUND IN HONG KONG ( POSSIBLY
SUPPORTED BY FRIENDS OR RELATIVES) WAS BETTER THAN LIFE IN THE
COMMUNES. OTHERS DID NOT BELIEVE THAT THE HONG KONG GOVERNMENT
WOULD MAINTAIN OR ENFORCE THE NEW MEASURES ESPECIALLY THE BAN ON EMPLOYMENT, AS THERE WERE SO MANY ILLEGAL FACTORIES.
CHINESE COUNTER-MEASURES.
4. ALTHOUGH THERE HAS BEEN NO EVIDENCE OF REINFORCEMENT, CHINESE
SECURITY FORCES ALREADY DEPLOYED IN THE BORDER AREAS ARE REPORTED
TO HAVE INCREASED THEIR EFFORTS JUST BEFORE THE ANNOUNCEMENT AND
TO HAVE MAINTAINED THEM AT A HIGH LEVEL SINCE.
CONFIDENTIAL
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