TNAG-0877-FCO40-1087-Refugees-from-Vietnam-in-Hong-Kong-Vietnamese-boat-people-1979 — Page 122

FCO40 Hong Kong Department Records 聯邦事務部香港部檔案 All

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GRS 235

COMIDENTIAL

BY 940988Z

FM HONG KONG 040740Z JAN 79

TO IMMEDIATE F C O

CONFIDENTIAL

TELEGRAM NUMBER 29 OF 4 JANUARY

HKK 243/1

RECEIVED IN REGISTRY NO. 51

INFO IMMEDIATE HONG KONG GOVERNMENT OFFICE LONDON

16

-

5 JAN1979

DASK OFMCE INDEX

YOUR TELNO 6: HUEY FONG: AMENDMENT TO IMMIGRATION ORDINICE

RE

Cion

21

تمام

1. WE NEED TO BE ABLE TO DETAIN PERSONS FROM VIETNAM UNDER SECTION 32 (1) OF THE ORDINANCE WHO HAVE BEEN IN OUR HANDS ALREADY

FOR NEARLY TWO MONTHS OR WHO MAY ARRIVE IN FUTURE.

2

#

THE FIRST CATEGORY ARE THOS WHO HAVE ARRIVED IN HONG KONG VIA CHINA (NOW NUMBERING 834) EITHER HAVING SPENT SOME TIME ASHORE, OR HAVING LIVED ON BOATS EN ROUTE FROM VIETNAM, THE FIRST SUCH GROUP WILL HAVE BEEN HERE IN CUSTODY FOR NEARLY TWO MONTHS AWAITING THE RESPONSE OF THE CHINESE AUTHORITIES TO OUR REPRES-

ENTATIONS THAT THEY SHOULD BE RETURNED TO CHINA, UNLESS WE HAVE THE POWERS PROPOSED THE GOVERNOR WOULD HAVE TO ISSUE EACH OF THESE PERSONS WITH A REMOVAL ORDER ON THE 11 JANUARY. SUCH AN

ORDER COULD NOT BE EXECUTED IN THE ABSENCE OF ANY RESPONSE FROM THE CHINESE AUTHORITIES. WE SHOULD AVOID THIS ARRANGEMENT, IF POSSIBLE.

3. THE SECOND CATEGORY OF PERSONS ARE PASSENGERS WHO COME ON SHIPS SUCH AS THE HUEY FONG, ALTHOUGH IN LAW THEY COULD BE RETURNED TO VIETNAM IN PRACTICE THIS CANNOT BE DONE. WE

HAVE NOT RETURNED PERSONS AGAINST THEIR WILL SINCE 1975. AS ONE ELEMENT IN OUR PROPOSED DETERRENT PACKAGE WE SEE ADVANTAGE IN HAVING POWER TO DETAIN SUCH PERSONS FOR LONGER THAN 2 MONTHS

SHOULD WE SO DECIDE.

MACLEHOSE

PS/LORD GORONWY-ROBERTS PS/MR LUARD

PS/PUS

COPIES TO

HONG KONG GOVERNMENT OFFICE LONDON MR BURLEIGH HOME OFFICE

MR BIRT

QUEEN ANNE'S GATE HOME OFFICE

FILES

UND

PS

HK & GD

SEAD

FED

SAD

SIR A DUFF

EID (E)

MR CORTAZZI

PUSD

OID

IPD

MR WEIR

MR MURRAY

NEWS D MVD

CONFIDENTIAL

LUNAR HOUSE CROYDON

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