CONFIDENTIAL
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CONFIDENTIAL
FM HONG KONG
TO IMMEDIATE FCO
TELNO
1166
OF 160949Z JULY 93
RECE
INFO IMMEDIATE PEKING, UKMIS GENEVA
STRY
1993
PA
INFO PRIORITY HANOI, UKREP JLG HONG KONG
REGISTRY
Like
Adio TP COP · Q_DIST?
7
ለረ
(14
064454 MDHIAN 9146
OUR TELNO 1151 AND YOU TELNO 672: EX-CHINA VIETNAMESE ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS
1. THE POLITICAL ADVISER CALLED IN CHEN GUOPING OF NCNA ON 16 JULY. EHRMAN POINTED OUT THAT SINCE 25 JUNE ALMOST 600 ECVIIS HAD ARRIVED IN HONG KONG. NEW BOATS WERE NOW REACHING THE TERRITORY EVERY DAY. ALL OF THE ARRIVALS HAD TOLD US THAT THEY HAD COME FROM GUANGXI. ALL HAD LIVED IN CHINA SINCE 1979 OR EARLIER AND WERE ETHNIC CHINESE. THEY HAD EXPLAINED THAT THEY CAME TO HONG KONG BECAUSE THEIR HOMES IN BEIHAI HAD BEEN DEMOLISHED. THE DEPUTY SECRETARY-GENERAL OF BEIHAI MUNICIPALITY WAS QUOTED IN THIS MORNING'S PRESS AS SAYING THAT THEY WOULD ''STAY IN HONG KONG FOR A LONG TIME''. THIS STATEMENT CAUSED US GREAT CONCERN.
2.
EXPERIENCE HAD SHOWN THAT THE ONLY EFFECTIVE WAY TO DISCOURAGE FURTHER ARRIVALS WAS TO RETURN THOSE WHO HAS ALREADY REACH HONG KONG RAPIDLY TO CHINA. IN THE PAST, THE CHINESE HAD URGED US TO CLEAR THE CAMPS IN HONG KONG AS QUICKLY AS POSSIBLE AND NOT TO ALLOW HONG KONG TO BECOME A POLE OF ATTRACTION FOR VIETNAMESE MIGRANTS. CHINA HAD CRITICISED VIETNAM FOR NOT ACCEPTING ITS OWN MIGRANTS BACK. NOW THE CAMP POPULATION WAS EXPANDING BECAUSE OF THE RECENT INFLUX FROM CHINA.
3. EHRMAN URGED THE CHINESE AUTHORITIES TO AGREE URGENTLY TO ACCEPT THE NEW ARRIVALS BACK. SPECIFICALLY HE PROPOSED THAT THE HONG KONG GOVERNMENT SHOULD HAND OVER LISTS OF NEW ARRIVALS WHOM WE PROPOSED TO RETURN, WITH DETAILS OF EACH. THE CHINESE AUTHORITIES COULD THEN VERIFY THESE. AFTER A PERIOD OF TWO WEEKS ALL INDIVIDUALS TO WHOM THEY HAD NOT RAISED SPECIFIC OBJECTIONS WOULD BE RETURNED. IN ADDITION, TO DEAL WITH THE IMMEDIATE PROBLEM AND SEND OUT A CLEAR DETERRENT MESSAGE, WE REQUESTED THE CHINESE AUTHORITIES TO AGREE TO TAKE BACK NEXT WEEK ALL THOSE WHO HAD ALREADY ARRIVED. WE ALSO HOPED THE CHINESE COULD STEP UP BORDER CONTROLS TO PREVENT FURTHER ARRIVALS.
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