CONFIDENTIAL
HKB
243/5
CONFIDENTIAL
FM HANOI
RECEIVED IN R
RY
TO IMMEDIATE FCO
1 MAR 1990
TELNO 89
DESK
OF 14064OZ FEBRUARY 90-
INDEX
TOP Cor
DIST
141140
MDHIAN 6814
INFO IMMEDIATE HONG KONG
INFO ROUTINE UKMIS GENEVATM
93
MY TELNO 81: VBP: MONITORING
1
I VISITED HA COI IN THE FAR NORTH OF QUANG NINH PROVINCE, A FEW MILES FROM THE CHINESE BORDER, ON 12/13 FEBRUARY AND INTERVIEWED MR PHAM XUAN TUONG. HIS WIFE AND (NOW) THREE CHILDREN WERE REPORTEDLY LIVING TEMPORARILY ON VINH THUC ISLAND EVEN NEARER THE CHINESE BORDER.
2. MR TUONG HAD NO COMPLAINTS TO MAKE ABOUT HIS TREATMENT SINCE HIS RETURN: HE HAD RECEIVED VN DONG 800,000 (IE ABOUT US DOLLARS 200) BY WAY OF FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE SO FAR AND HAS BEEN HELPED TO FIND TEMPORARY WORK BY THE FISHING COOPERATIVE. HOWEVER, HE ASKED THAT THE REQUEST BE TRANSMITTED TO YOU THAT MORE AID BE PROVIDED BY HMG, PARTICULARLY IN THE PURCHASE OF A FISHING BOAT (VN DONG 30,000,000 FOR A 3 TON BOAT).
3. HE MADE NO COMPLAINT ABOUT HIS TREATMENT IN HONG KONG EXCEPT TO REPEAT HIS VIEW THAT HIS WIFE SHOULD NOT HAVE BEEN MOVED AT SUCH A LATE STAGE IN HER PREGNANCY (SHE HAD NOW GIVEN BIRTH TO A SON). WHEN I PRESSED HIM ABOUT COUNSELLING IN HONG KONG, HE ACKNOLWLEDGED THAT HAD HEARD ABOUT THE POSSIBILITY OF VOLUNTARY RETURN ON THE CAMP LOUDSPEAKER AND THAT A LADY FROM THE UNHCR HAD SPOKEN TO HIM (I UNDERSTAND IN A GROUP). HE SAID THAT ON ARRIVAL IN HONG KONG WATERS, THE MARINE POLICE HAD GIVEN HIM A TRILINGUAL DOCUMENT WHICH ASKED WHETHER HE WISHED TO BE GIVEN FOOD AND WATER FOR AN ONWARD JOURNEY OR WISHED TO ENTER HONG KONG FOR RESETTLEMENT ELSEWHERE. TUONG CLAIMED THAT HE MADE NO RESPONSE AT ALL. HE ALSO CLAIMED IN ANSWER TO MY QUESTION THAT HIS BOAT COULD NOT HAVE MADE THE JOURNEY BACK TO VIETNAM IN PART BECAUSE IT WAS DAMAGED BY THE MARINE POLICE LAUNCH WHEN IT
HOVE TO.
COMMENT
PAGE 1 CONFIDENTIAL
85