GFS 650
FIDENTIAL
CONFIDENTIAL
FM HONG KONG 171112Z NOV 78
TO PRIORITY F C O
TELEGRAM NUMBER 1326 OF 17 NOVEMBER
148
HKK 391/1
RECEIVED IN REGISTAY RO.-57 2 0 NOV 1978
RO. X
APOTHALL C
INFO PRIORITY PEKING, HONG KONG GOVERNMENT OFFICE LONDON.
143
YOUR TELNO 862. (NOT TO ALL): ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS
VIETNAM.
ON 9 NOVEMBER FIVE JUNKS ARRIVED IN HONG KONG CARRYING 133 ETHNIC
CHINESE WHO CLAIMED TO BE REFUGEES FROM VIETNAM. INVESTIGATIONS SHOWED SERIOUS INCONSISTENCIES IN THEIR STORIES. THERE WAS STRONG EVIDENCE THAT THE GROUP HAD SPENT A CONSIDERABLE TIME IN
CHINA AND HAD BEEN TREATED AS OVERSEAS CHINESE WISHING TO BE
RESETTLED IN CHINA. THEY HAD BEEN GIVEN LARGE QUANTITIES OF RICE, FIREWOOD, AND OBJECTS SUCH AS COMBS, MIRRORS, TEASETS. THERE WAS ALSO EVIDENCE. THAT THEY HAD BEEN GIVEN MONEY BY
THE CHINESE AUTHORITIES TO MEET THEIR LIVING EXPENSES IN CHINA, THIS TREATMENT DIFFERS MARKEDLY FROM THAT GIVEN THOSE ON REFUGEE JUNKS FROM VIETNAM (37 90 FAR THIS YEAR) WHO REACH HONG KONG VIA SHORT STOPS ON THE CHINESE COAST WHEN THEY HAVE
BEEN GIVEN LIMITED SUPPLIES OF RICE, WATER AND FUEL. THESE WE
TREAT AS ORDINARY REFUGEES.
2. BECAUSE OF THE EVIDENCE THAT THIS GROUP HAD BEEN SETTLED IN CHINA (AND WOULD CONSEQUENTLY BE INELIGIBLE FOR UNHCR OR US REFUGEE PROGRAMMES) WE DECIDED TO RETURN THEM ON 13 NOVEMBER IN THE NORMAL WAY AS ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS FROM CHINA, A SIMILAR GROUP OF 69 HAD BEEN RETURNED - AND ACCEPTED- ON 8 NOVEMBER. HOWEVER, ON THIS OCCASION THE CHINESE OFFICIAL AT THE BORDER SAID THE GROUP WERE FROM VIETNAM AND COULD NOT BE ACCEPTED. HE ALSO COMMENTED THAT THE ADDRESSES IN CHINA GIVEN FOR THE GROUP WERE
INADEQUATE.
3. THE ASSISTANT POLITICAL ADVISER EXPLAINED TO THE NCNA ON 15 NOVEMBER WHY WE REGARDED THIS GROUP AS ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS AND EXPRESSED THE HOPE THAT THEY COULD SOON BE RETURNED TO CHINA IN THE NORMAL MANNER, NCNA TOOK CAREFUL NOTE OF ALL THE EVIDENCE AND DID NOT QUESTION (NOR ACCEPT) OUR INTERPRETATION OF IT HOWEVER, THEY SAID THAT AN EARLY DECISION WAS UNLIKELY, ADDING THAT THE CASE OF THE GROUP OF 69 WAS STILL BEING INVESTIGATED,
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CONFIDENTIAL
/ON
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