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FM HONG KONG
TELNO 1428
REST
STAY
1993
TO IMMEDIATE FCO
DESK C
OF 031104Z SEPTEMBER 93
IN EX
Sction Taken
AND TO IMMEDIATE PEKING
INFO PRIORITY UKREP JLG HONG KONG, HANOI UKMIS GENEVA
تیم
(34
021476
MDHIAN 3697
EX-CHINA VIETNAMESE ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS (ECVIIS) : REPATRIATION EXERCISE ON 3 SEPTEMBER
109 ECVIIS WERE RETURNED TO CHINA BY LAND TRANSPORT THIS MORNING IN THE FIRST OF A SERIES REPATRIATION EXERCISES SINCE THE INFLUX OF ECVIIS BEGAN IN JUNE THIS YEAR. THE OPERATION WENT SMOOTHLY AND THE ACTUAL HANDING OVER FORMALITIES WERE COMPLETED IN TWENTY MINUTES. WE HAD NO DIFFICULTIES WITH THE RETURNEES, WHO WERE ALL AWARE OF THEIR IMMINENT REPATRIATION TO CHINA.
2. DURING THE HAND-OVER, THE CHINESE AGREED TO THE RETURN OF A FURTHER 26 ECVIIS ON 15 SEPTEMBER. WE HAD HOPED THAT THE CHINESE WOULD AGREE TO AN EARLIER DATE, BUT THEY INDICATED THAT THEY HAD LOGISTIC DIFFICULTIES IN TRANSPORTING THE ECVIIS BACK TO THEIR ORIGINAL FARMS. WE WILL, HOWEVER, CONTINUE TO PRESS FOR AN EARLIER DATE, PREFERABLY ON 10 SEPTEMBER, VIA OUR CROSS BORDER LIAISON CHANNELS. WE WILL ALSO KEEP UP THE PRESSURE FOR THE EARLY CLEARANCE OF SUFFICIENT NAMES TO ENABLE US TO MOUNT A SEA-BORNE OPERATION AS SOON AS POSSIBLE.
3. THE REPATRIATION EXERCISE ATTRACTED CONSIDERABLE PRESS COVERAGE IN HONG KONG. OVER 100 LOCAL AND FOREIGN CORRESPONDENTS/REPORTERS WERE ALLOWED TO ENTER THE CLOSED BORDER AREA TO WITNESS THE OPERATION. THE ASSISTANT DIRECTOR OF IMMIGRATION, WHO LED THE HONG KONG ESCORTING PARTY, WAS AVAILABLE TO ANSWER MEDIA QUESTIONS AFTER THE HAND-OVER.
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