TNAG-0890-FCO40-1100-Refugees-from-Vietnam-in-Hong-Kong-Vietnamese-boat-people-1979 — Page 132

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Mr McLagen

cc: Mr Quantrill

PA.

CONFIDENTIAL

Reference...

HKK 2431

RECCIELO NE PSOKIV NO! 51

19 JUN 979

DESK OFFICER INDEX

PA

110

1067

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VIETNAMESE REFUGEES IN HONG KONG AND IMMIGRATION FROM CHINA

1. I had to speak to Hong Kong by 'phone this morning re: the Sibonga refugees, and I spoke to Iain Orr as it seemed prudent to get some up-to-date information from him.

2. (a) Vietnamese Refugees: As at midnight on 12 June there

were 52,099 Vietnamese refugees in Hong Kong, i.e. 314 arrived yesterday, 11,186 having arrived so far this month.

(b) Chinese Immigrants: No significant change, i.e. daily

average of legals about 160 and illegals 650.

3. I enquired about the statement in paragraph 1(a) in Hong Kong telegram No 760 concerning Vietnamese illegal immigrants from China. The number involved up to the end of May was only about

20 land border crossers and there has been no difficulty in repatriating them. There is however difficulty in establishing numbers now since the hordes of illegals prohibits anything but the most cursory of questioning.

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4. I also asked about the report in the "Daily Telegraph", attached, re: the Malaysian and Indonesian decisions not to allow any more boat people to land. I realise we will get reports from Kuala Lumpur and Jakarta but Iain volunteered to send an immediate assessment.

5. Hon Q W Lee just called me. His basic concern is that the inevitable slow down in the US economy could lead to a 1974/75 type world trade slump. This would lead to unemployment and serious social unrest in Hong Kong. However the Hong Kong Bank trade figures (2 months ahead of Governments) indicate a continuing boom.

CODE 18-77

13 June 1979

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P J Williamson

Hong Kong and General Department

CONFIDENTIAL