TNAG-0897-FCO40-1107-Refugees-from-Vietnam-in-Hong-Kong-Vietnamese-boat-people-1979 — Page 50

CONFIDENTIAL

GR 335

CONFIDENTIAL

FM HONG KONG 261025Z SEP 79

Hick 243 KLUZIVED IN REG":"\

27 SEPA979

DESK OFFICE

TO PRIORITY FOREIGN AND COMMONWEALTH OFFICE INDEX

TELNO.1336 OF 26 SEPTEMBER,

INFO PRIORITY: HANOI

NO. 51

REGI

10

1777

ROUTINE : WASHINGTON, UKMIS GENEVA, CANBERRA, PEKING, SINGAPORE

KUALA LUMPUR, BANGKOK, JAKARTA, MANILA, OTTAWA, UKMIS NEW YORK, HONG KONG GOVT OFFICE LONDON.

VIETNAMESE REFUGEES : NEW DEPARTURE TRENDS,

see 1717

1725

1. REFUGEE BOATS ARRIVING HERE FROM PORTS IN CENTRAL AND SOUTHERN VIETNAM SINCE THE JULY GENEVA CONFERENCE HAVE CARRIED SMALL NUMBERS (MAXIMUM 99) AND OVER 90% HAVE BEEN ETHNIC VIETNAMESE. THERE HAS BEEN NO EVIDENCE OF THESE DEPARTURES BEING ORGANISED OR SANCTIONED BY GOVERNMENT OFFICIALS HOWEVER, TWO BOATS WHICH ARRIVED FROM NHA TRANG (NORTH OF CAM RANH BAY) ON 9 AND 11 SEPTEMBER AROUSED OUR SUSPICIONS BECAUSE OF THEIR LARGE NUMBERS AND PREDOMINANTLY CHINESE ETHNIC COMPOSITION.

2.

SUBSEQUENT INVESTIGATIONS HAVE SHOWN THAT BOTH DEPARTURES INVOLVED PAYMENTS TO OFFICIALS AT A LEVEL SUFFICIENTLY SENIOR TO RAISE SUSPICIONS THAT VIETNAMESE POLICY MAY BE CHANGING. UNLESS YOU SEE OBJECTION, GRATEFUL IF YOU AND HANOI WOULD GIVE

THE VIETNAMESE AS MUCH DETAIL AS YOU FEEL APPROPRIATE FROM MIPT. WE HOPE THIS WOULD EITHER: (A) ALERT THEM TO THE FACT THAT WE ARE QUICK TO PICK UP ANY FAILURE ON THEIR PART TO OBSERVE THE MORATORIUM, OR (6) HELP TO DETER CORRUPTION (IF THAT IS THEIR EXPLANATION OF THESE CASES).

3. IN ADDITION AN ETHNIC VIETNAMESE REFUGEE WHO SAYS HE LEFT HUE CLANDESTINELY ON 9 SEPTEMBER, HAS JUST TOLD US THAT SINCE 19 AUGUST ABOUT 1,000 ETHNIC CHINESE IN HUE HAVE BEEN ABLE TO REGISTER FOR DEPARTURE (BY BOAT, NOT UNDER THE UNHCR PROGRAMME). HOWEVER, REGISTRATION WAS AT DANANG OR QUI NHỌN, NOT HUE. THESE REFUGEES WERE NOW WAITING FOR PERMISSION TO LEAVE.

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