TNAG-0793-FCO40-997-Refugees-from-Vietnam-in-Hong-Kong-Vietnamese-boat-people-1978 — Page 226

婚

CONFIDENTIAL

2.

3.

and Vietnamese do not wish their sons to be killed in

the war:

this reinforces their determination to leave

with as many of their young men as possible.

They

are also influenced by the widespread fear that war

with China is inevitable.

The means of escape are very limited. The Chinese border has been virtually

closed since 12 July. It was in any case extremely difficult for ethnic Chinese in

the south to make their way to the border: the journey of some 14 days involved an

ingenious use of local trains, which are not checked by Vietnamese security

authorities. Many ethnic Chinese had hoped to leave by official ships sent by the

Chinese Government, but since the breakdown of the Sino/Vietnamese Vice-Ministerial

talks on 26 September this is impossible. The type of "mass escape" on merchant

ships such as the Southern Cross (described in my letter of 6 October to Simons,

SEAD - not copied to all) is an ingenious method, particularly suitable during the bad

monsoon weather. It has been done once and is being attempted again: but it may well

prove increasingly hard to organise as more and more officials demand their share of

the bribes,

14.

purpose.

The

The method of escape by small boat is therefore likely to be the one most

used, despite the dangers involved of taking small un-seaworthy craft to sea.

It involves process has now reached the proportions of an industry in the south.

the construction of boats in various yards along the coast specifically for this

Diesel engines imported by the Vietnamese fishery authorities are, by

means of suitable bribery, likely to find their way into such boats, A great deal

of time and ingenuity is being devoted by many people to organising the process which

involves large-scale bribery of Vietnamese officials up to provincial level. The

current cost of a place in a boat is between 8 and 12 taels of gold (1 tael = US 170

$

on the Ho Chi Minh City black market). In general the business is conducted in gold

although US dollars are sometimes acceptable.

5.

There is good evidence to suggest that Vietnamese authorities, suitably

CONFIDIAITTAL

/bribed