TNAG-0897-FCO40-1107-Refugees-from-Vietnam-in-Hong-Kong-Vietnamese-boat-people-1979 — Page 54

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or State farms. They decided that life in China was little better than the life they had left in Vietnam and have come to Hong Kong by boats bought in China, posing as refugees sailing direct from Vietnam (approximately 47%);

and

(e) ethnic Chinese who left Northern Vietnam before the

moratorium by boat but were either shipwrecked on the Chinese coast or had their boats badly damaged. They pooled resources with similar groups and accepted additional ethnic Chinese who had been resettled in China in exchange for food and money to buy a new boat

In at least one instance, or repair their own. illegal immigrants also joined a boat (approximately 12%).

Refugees from Southern Vietnam state that living conditions there are deteriorating day-by-day with food shortages, transport difficulties, and little fishing done because of a lack of boats. They also reported a policy change on 1 August as a result of which all property has been nationalised, communcs have been organised for people in the towns and former officials and soldiers of the pre-1975 regime have

The Vietnamese Government been banished to New Economic Zones,

stopped registering ethnic Chinese in the south for departure

Those who were not able to leave before the by boat in mid-June. moratorium was announced have had their registration fees (which they paid in gold) refunded in Dong and have been told to

A number of the ethnic Chinese, who may await a further call, total three quarters of a million in the south, are believed

Public Security to be in staging camps near Ho Chi Minh City. officials have strictly enforced the moratorium and offer rewards for information concerning ethnic Chinese trying to escape. Informants are given thirty per cent of the value of the boat and its goods on board, both of which are confiscated. Ethnic Vietnamese seem to be able to bribe minor officials more easily and escape clandestinely.

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Since mid-July, a number of merchant ships, 'mercy' vessels or ships of the US Seventh Fleet have rescued 'shipwrecked' refugees off the coast of Southern Vietnam and

ANNA MAERSK and SEROOSKERK of these, two merchant ships

have brought refugees to Hong Kong to be landed, pending guaranteed resettlement abroad. Another, the RUDDBANK, sailed for

Shanghai without disembarking her refugees. taken refugees to Singapore or Bangkok.

Others have

These refugees have

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