TNAG-0586-FCO40-719-Aid-from-UK-for-Vietnamese-refugees-in-Hong-Kong-1976 — Page 150

Foreign and Commonwealth Office London SW1A 2AH

CDS Drace-Francis Esq Colonial Secretariat HONG KONG

LA81

Telephone 01.

R&F

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"+f.

Your reference

Our reference

Date

DRAFT ON HKK 341/301/1

1 July 1976

Dear Charles

1.

Thank you for your letters reference CR 249/76 of 22 June about an illegal immigration case and SCR 27/65 of 18 June on the arrival of more Vietnamese refugees.

2.

I notice in the weekly Press Review No 386 (extract attached for ease of reference) that some Chinese newspapers have contrasted the commendable treatment of these Vietnamese refugees with that given to illegal immigrants.

3.

I would be interested in your assessment of the general attitude in Hong Kong towards the policy of returning illegal immigrants to China. I am under the impression that criticism of the policy has been almost entirely from interested parties in this country, orchestrated on occasions by the Free China Relief Association. If these critics were able to say with some justifi- cation that the policy is widely resented in Hong Kong I think their case would be harder to answer.

I am copying this letter to Rowlands of the Immigration Department and to Roger Garside in Peking.

4.

Yous wa Zotrini

RB Janvrin

Hong Kong Department

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