ROF ABU (6)
CONFIDENTIAL
Camp conditions
6.
Some boat people in Chi Ma Wan and Hei Ling Chau detention centres are refusing to participate in the screening programme. There are reports that some boat people have asked for boats so that they can leave the territory. This action may have been triggered by the recent visit to Hong Kong by Vietnamese officials to
interview volunteers for repatriation.
further details.
The Governor may have
Chinese attitude
7. The Chinese continue to show signs of agitation and concern. Recently, Ji Pengfei has been quoted as saying that the problem
should not be left as a burden for the future SAR Government. Zhou
Nan was also quoted as expressing the hope that the problem would be resolved before 1997. Li Hou was most unhelpful, being quoted as saying that he had great reservations about the Hong Kong Government's liberalisation plans. He raised doubts in public about
the residency status of refugees post 1997, and compared treatment of Chinese illegal immigrants unfavourably to treatment of Vietnamese boat people. We have taken a number of opportunities (eg
The Secretary of State, at dinner with the Chinese Ambassador) to
urge the Chinese to avoid making public statements which could
aggravate the situation in Hong Kong.
CONF IDENTIAL