CONFIDENTIAL
243 14
Y
22 FEB 1990
REGISTRY
Action Taken
TO
DIS
Co
HKB
CONFIDENTIAL
FM HONG KONG
RECEIVE
TO PRIORITY FCO
TELNO 438
INDEX
OF 06080OZ FEBRUARY 90
AND TO PRIORITY HANOI
SKILL +
(30
107674
MDLIAN 6053
FOR COLVIN SEAD FROM BARNES
26
YOUR TELNO 296 AND HANOI TELNO 013. VIETNAMESE BOAT PEOPLE: TROUBLEMAKERS AND WEAPONS.
I SAID DURING SC 3 THAT THERE WERE NUMBERS OF FORMER VIETNAMESE ARMY PERSONNEL IN OUR CAMPS HERE. I DID NOT SPECIFY QUOTE NORTH VIETNAMESE ARMY UNQUOTE ALTHOUGH THE VAST MAJORITY ARE NATURALLY FROM NORTHERN VIETNAM.
2. IN MANY CASES THESE PEOPLE TEND TO STICK TOGETHER AND SOMETIMES OPENLY DISPLAY MILITARY ATTITUDES. WE BELIEVE THAT MOST ARE PROBABLY NOT VETERAN SOLDIERS BUT MERELY THOSE WHO HAVE BEEN DRAFTED INTO MILITARY SERVICE IN VIETNAM AND HAVE HAD MILITARY TRAINING. THEIR OVERALL NUMBERS ARE NOT GREAT. WE HAVE ONLY IDENTIFIED ABOUT 115 FORMER MILITARY PERSONNEL SO FAR, AND ARE UNCERTAIN AS TO WHAT PROPORTION THIS REPRESENTS OF THE TRUE FIGURE. THEY HAVE HOWEVER MADE THEIR PRESENCE FELT. THE ADULT MALE CAMP POPULATION GENERALLY NUMBERS SOME 16,000.
3. WE SHALL ARRANGE FOR PHOTOGRAPHS IN AN APPROPRIATE FORMAT TO BE SENT TO YOU AND HANOI FOR MEDIA USE AS YOU THINK FIT. DISPLAYS OF WEAPONS SEIZED IN WEAPONS SEARCHES ARE NOT UNCOMMONLY SHOWN ON TELEVISION HERE AND PHOTOGRAPHS HAVE APPEARED IN THE PRESS ON SEVERAL OCCASIONS.
4. WE HAVE NO SPECIFIC INDICATIONS SO FAR OF DEMOBILISED SOLDIERS FROM CAMBODIA MAKING THEIR WAY TO HONG KONG.
WILSON
YYYY
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