3.
CONFIDENTIAL
local authorities",
機密
The Chinese refused to be
drawn on what checks were made on those
entering.
iii)
Repatriation
Those repatriated both land crossers and stranded coast hoppers were driven under guard by bus to one of the border trading places. There they were released and told to return to
Vietnam. They were not handed over to the Vietnamese at the official border crossing at Friendship Gate since, if the Chinese did so, the VBPS would be punished.
The return is mandatory although they claim no force is necessary (however, a Zhanjiang marine police official informed us that Vietnamese who
put up resistance were trussed-up before being put on the buses). The Beihai Deputy Mayor told us that in the last three months of last
year, 301 Vietnamese land travellers and those
whose boats had broken down, were returned from
Bethai in 9 bus-loads. Zhanjiang marine police
told us that last year 545 people were repatriated by their station alone. This broke down into 315 people who were "stranded" and
230 people whose boats had sunk. Over 1,000 people were repatriated from the whole of
Zhangiang. However, in Fang Cheng Vietnamese apprehended were merely persuaded" to return
to Vietnam. They were not arrested and not
repatriated. Additionally, the Deputy Director
of the Foreign Affairs Office admitted that
only those whose boats were irreparible were
repatriated. Those who had run out of fuel and money were still being replenished "with a view
to persuading them to return to Vietnam".
CONFIDENTIAL #2
機密