TNAG-0898-FCO40-1108-Refugees-from-Vietnam-in-Hong-Kong-Vietnamese-boat-people-1979 — Page 95

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LID FONG KONG

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$1324 popies

f 3 P25 OCT 1979

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AN ASSESSMENT OF THE VIETNAMESE REFUGEE SITUATION

Vietnam appears to have kept to the moratorium on organised boat departures announced at the United Nations Conference on 21 July, but ethnic Vietnamese have continued to flee clandestinely from Central and Southern Vietnam. There is, however, evidence to suggest that Vietnam may be making preparations for a resumption of the exodus of ethnic Chinese sometime in October; Radio Hanoi has already been accusing China and the West of creating conditions in which this will become inevitable.

2.

During September, 25 boats, plus one merchant ship which had made a sea rescue, brought 2,581 refugees to Hong Kong. Of the 11 roats from Southern Vietnam, all except two carried ethnic Vietnamese, who had left because of economic conditions or because they were being harassed as former officials of the pre-1975 regime. The two exceptions, both from Nha Trang, carried mainly ethnic Chinese, who admitted paying gold to the Deputy Public Security Eureau Chief for permission to sail. This may have been either a case of corruption or, as refugees from these boats believed, a change in Vietnamese Government policy.

3.

Recently arrived refugees have stated that ethnic Chinese have been registering for departure since mid-August and large numbers of boats, some 100 in the Vung Tau area and lesser numbers at other ports, have been made ready, awaiting permission from Public Security officials to depart. Others say that new boats are being built and that large numbers of Chinese have congregated at Nytho and Fentre near Pc Chi Minh City and other towns in Southern Vietnam waiting to leave. people in Hong Kong have been requested to pay 'escape money' to money agents to enable their relatives or friends to register in Victnam, it is unlikely that the expected movements are connected with the agreed limited scheme for controlled departure.

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