RESTRICTED
FM HONG KONG
TO IMMEDIATE FCO
TELNO
1277
OF 021008Z AUGUST 93
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RECEIVED I
9 AUG 1993
DESK OFFIC
INFO IMMEDIATE PEKING, UKMIS GENEVA, HANOI
225
123406
MDHIAN 0760
STRY
CISTRY
on Token
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YOUR TELNO 683: ECVIIS
SUMMARY
1. PUBLIC CONCERN CONTINUES TO GROW AS ARRIVAL RATE INCREASES. IMPORTANT TO KEEP UP THE PRESSURE, IN PUBLIC AND PRIVATE, ON THE CHINESE. FURTHER REPRESENTATIONS RECOMMENDED IN LONDON CAT MINISTERIAL LEVEL) AND IN PEKING.
DETAIL
2.
THE ARRIVAL RATE OF ECVIIS CONTINUES TO SHOW A RISING TREND: ON 29 JULY, THERE WERE 209 NEW ARRIVALS, THE LARGEST NUMBER SO FAR IN A SINGLE DAY. THE TOTAL SINCE THE PRESENT INFLUX STARTED ON 25 JUNE HAS NOW REACHED 2,089. RECENT CHINESE STATEMENTS EXPRESSING WILLINGNESS IN PRINCIPLE TO TAKE BACK THE ECVIIS SUBJECT TO VERIFICATION OF THEIR SETTLEMENT STATUS HAVE NOT ASSUAGED PUBLIC CONCERN. PRESS REPORTS CLAIMING THAT SOME OF THE RECENT ARRIVALS HAVE BEEN ENCOURAGED ON THEIR WAY UP THE SOUTH CHINA COAST BY CHINESE OFFICIALS HAVE PROVOKED SCEPTICISM ABOUT CHINESE PROMISES TO MAKE IT HARDER FOR ECVIIS TO REACH HONG KONG.
3. IN OUR PRESS BRIEFINGS, WE CONTINUE TO UNDERLINE THE NEED FOR CHINA TO ACCEPT BACK NOW AT LEAST SOME OF THE RECENT ARRIVALS, AS THE ONLY EFFECTIVE DETERRENT TO OTHERS. WE ALSO EMPHASISE THAT WE HAVE STILL RECEIVED NO CHINESE RESPONSE TO OUR SPECIFIC REQUESTS TO BEGIN RETURNING ECVIIS. PRIVATELY, WE ARE UPDATING THE NCNA ALMOST EVERY DAY ON NEW ARRIVALS, AND ASKING WHETHER THEY YET HAVE INSTRUCTIONS ON IMMEDIATE RETURNS. WE HAVE ALSO ASKED THEM TO EXPLAIN WHAT ADDITIONAL ACTION CHINA EXPECTS THE HONG KONG GOVERNMENT TO TAKE, IN THE LIGHT OF ITS CALL FOR HKG TO TAKE ''ACTIVE MEASURES' TO RESOLVE THE PROBLEM (FAX MS ROGAN (PEKING)/DEPUTY POLITICAL ADVISER OF 22 JULY, NOT TO ALL). WE HAVE SO FAR HAD NO SUBSTANTIVE RESPONSES.
4.
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OUR IMPRESSION IS THAT THE CHINESE ARE HAVING GENUINE INTERNAL DIFFICULTIES IN DECIDING WHERE TO SEND ANY ECVIIS THEY ACCEPT BACK. THE BEIHAI AUTHORITIES MAY WELL BE ATTEMPTING TO KEEP THEIR OWN
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