TNAG-0900-FCO40-1110-Refugees-from-Vietnam-in-Hong-Kong-Vietnamese-boat-people-1979 — Page 67

FR$ 670

CONFIDENT

CONFIDENTIAL

Original at: HICK 34114

This Copy for:

Thformation only / Action_an

FM HONG KONG 120812Z PDEC)

ikir 943).

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19066

PA

REGIE: NA. 51

13 DEC 1979

13.12 14

DESKEY 126900Z

INDEX

TO IMMEDIATE FOREIGN AND COMMONWEALTH OFFICE

TELEGRAM NUMBER 1747 OF 12 DECEMBER 1979

Мы

INFO PRIORITY PEKING.

J13.12

See 1907

1905

YOUR TELNO 1035: WRITTEN P.Q.

1. THE DISTINCTION BETWEEN VIETNAMESE REFUGEES AND ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS IS IMPORTANT, TO US AND TO THE CHINESE. AT THE GENEVA CONFERENCE IN JULY THE SOVIET DELEGATE ACCUSED CHINA OF SENDING OVER 117,000 REFUGEES' TO HONG KONG AND ALSO ATTACKED THE U.K. FOR NOT MENTIONING IMMIGRATION FROM CHINA, IN HIS SPEECH THE GOVERNOR MADE A POINT OF SAYING THAT: ''THE ONLY REFUGEES IN HONG KONG ARE FROM VIETNAM''. THE CHINESE DELEGATION PRIVATELY EXPRESSED APPRECIATION. THE IMPORTANCE OF THE DISTINCTION TO THE CHINESE WAS REPEATED DURING THE RECENT VISIT HERE BY THE CHAIRMAN OF THE GUANGDONG PROVINCIAL REVOLUTIONARY COMMITTEE. WE THEREFORE SUGGEST THAT, UNLESS THE QUESTION CAN BE AMENDED TO REFER SEPARATELY TO REFUGEES FROM VIETNAM AND ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS FROM CHINA, ONLY FIGURES ON THE FORMER SHOULD BE PROVIDED.

2. THE FIGURES REQUESTED FOR, YOUR PARA 2(A) ARE AS FOLLOWS:

3,743 191

1975

1976

1977

1,001

1978

6,609

1979: BY MONTHS

JANUARY: 5,395

FEBRUARY:

5,552

MARCH:

3,114

APRIL:

6,143

MAY:

18,688

JUNE:

19,651

CONFIDENTIAL

JUL