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243 113.
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FM PEKING
TO PRIORITY FCO
TELNO 18
OF 040715Z JANUARY 90
24 JAN 1990
DESK OFFICER
INDEX
PA
INFO PRIORITY HONG KONG, HANOI
AKLA
HONG KONG DEPUTY POLITICAL ADVISER'S TELELETTER OF 22 DECEMBER TO PIGOTT (NOT COPIED) : VIETNAMESE BOAT PEOPLE.
1. COUNSELLOR TOOK THE OPPORTUNITY OF A CALL ON OTHER BUSINESS ON WANG JIANXING, HONG KONG AND MACAO AFFAIRS OFFICE, MFA, ON 3 JANUARY TO RAISE THE QUESTION OF VIETNAMESE BOAT PEOPLE AND, IN PARTICULAR, LAND-CROSSERS. HE SAID THAT WE WERE GRATEFUL FOR THE EFFORTS MADE SO FAR BY THE CHINESE SIDE TO PREVENT VBPS FROM ARRIVING IN HONG KONG. WE HOPED COOPERATION ON THIS PROBLEM COULD
CONTINUE. THE CHINESE SIDE WOULD HAVE NOTICED THAT WE HAD NOW PUT INTO EFFECT NON-VOLUNTARY REPATRIATION AND THAT THE FIRST GROUP OF 51 HAD BEEN RETURNED TO VIETNAM ON 12 DECEMBER. WE WERE ALSO CONTINUING THE VOLUNTARY REPATRIATION PROGRAMME, AND A TOTAL OF 883 HAD SO FAR BEEN FLOWN TO VIETNAM. THE DEPUTY POLITICAL ADVISER
HAD RAISED WITH NCNA IN HONG KONG ON 19 DECEMBER THE PROBLEM OF
VBPS WHO REACHED HONG KONG HAVING ENTERED CHINA ACROSS THE SINO-VIETNAMESE LAND BORDER (COATES THEN HANDED OVER THE STATISTICS IN HONG KONG TELNO MISC. 910 TO HANOI (1989)). WE WERE CONCERNED THAT THE PERCENTAGE OF VIETNAMESE BOAT PEOPLE ARRIVING
OVERLAND WAS INCREASING. THIS WAS PARTLY DUE TO THE POOR SAILING WEATHER AT THIS TIME OF YEAR. HOWEVER, THE NUMBER WAS SUBSTANTIAL AND WE WERE CONCERND THAT WHEN NEWS TRAVELLED BACK TO VIETNAM THAT THIS WAS A VIABLE ALTERNATIVE ROUTE TO REACH HONG KONG, OVERALL NUMBERS COULD RISE VERY RAPIDLY. A LARGE NUMBER OF THESE PEOPLE APPARENTLY ENTERED CHINA FROM VIETNAM LEGALLY. WE BELIEVED IT WOULD BE BEST FOR ALL CONCERNED, NOT LEAST THE VIETNAMESE THEMSELVES, IF THEY WERE NOT PERMITTED TO ENTER CHINA IN THE FIRST PLACE. WE THEREFORE ASKED THE CHINESE SIDE TO TAKE EFFECTIVE MEASURES TO STOP THESE LAND-CROSSERS FROM REACHING HONG KONG. WE WOULD ALSO STILL LIKE THE CHINESE AUTHORITIES TO ADOPT MUCH MORE EFFECTIVE MEASURES TO PREVENT COAST-HOPPERS REACHING HONG KONG WHEN THE NEW SAILING SEASON STARTED. IT WOULD BE PARTICULARLY
HELPFUL IF CHINESE CITIZENS LIVING IN COASTAL TOWNS AND VILLAGES COULD BE DISSUADED FROM PROVIDING COAST HOPPERS WITH NEW BOATS, SPARE PARTS, PROVISIONS, MAPS, ETC. SUCH ASSISTANCE MERELY COMPOUNDED THE PROBLEM IN HONG KONG. HMG HAD USED UP A LOT OF
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