SECRET 高度機密
Page No. 9 of 10 pages
From Vietnam
30.
Six boats carrying a total of 204 refugees arrived during the month, as compared with 7 groups totalling 276
in January. Three boats came from Da Nang and two from Haiphong. All 176 persons in these boats were ethnic Vietnamese. The sixth boat, with 28 passengers and crew, was found on investigation to have come from Pingsha in
Doumen County, 25 miles west of Macau, a popular departure
point in 1980. It carried ethnic Chinese from Vietnam who
had been settled in China. This is the first such arrival
since last August and enquiries suggest that it was probably
an isolated, opportunist departure which had taken advantage of reduced vigilance at the departure point over the Lunar
New Year. There is no evidence of official connivance or
acquiescence in the departure.
31.
The prospect is for an increased number of arrivals from Vietnam, particularly as weather and wind conditions
become more favourable over the next two months. There are
still no indications of any relaxations by the Vietnamese
authorities themselves, but the deteriorating economy in
Vietnam is strengthening the urge to try to escape covertly. Helped by the venality of junior officials, many will succeed.
LIC Hong Kong March 19 81
G.F. 316
SECRET 高度機密