TNAG-0904-FCO40-1114-Immigration-from-China-to-Hong-Kong-1979 — Page 45

CONFIDENTIAL

SCR 2/1476/77

12 March, 1979

Me enraghery 20.3

Mr

RC Samuel Esq

Far Eastern

Far Eastern Department

Heck 341

4.

ALIVAD IN RTOS F

2 1 MAR 1979

INDEX

PA

по

2223

ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS FROM NEARBY COMMUNES

I

I wrote to you on 26 January to say that we vere facing a new problem of what seemed to be semi- approved shopping expeditions from nearby communes. Many of the "shoppers" then stayed in Hong Kong. said that we had decided to take measures to limit these activities which were particularly prevelant in the Lau Fau Shan area on the coast of Deep Bay.

2.

Since ve introduced our new policy on 25 January people from nearby communes have been allowed to trade at the Lau Fau Shan pier but not come further. The Folice have been turning back those who tried to make more extensive shopping expeditions. At the start there vere some minor confrontations and attempts by communes members to stage sit-down protests. But nothing serious occurred and the message seems gradually to have been getting across. Nevertheless boats continued to arrive at an average rate of about six per day. There have also been several attempts to evade the police restrictions. For instance, on 25 February, some 153 people were arrested in the Lau Fau Shan area. Most had hidden in the undergrowth although some had been taken in by local villagers. All were repatriated to China.

3.

We now have information that on 27 February the authorities of the commune mostly involved (Sha Jing on the Pearl River) had forbidden further visits to Hong Kong and had posted guards to prevent unauthorised people leaving. The same source said that other neighbouring communes vere going to introduce a similar ban on 1 March. So far it seems that this new ban is being applied fairly effectively, although I doubt if we have seen the last of this problem.

4.

Incidentally I should add that the groups arriving over Chinese New Year in the East side of Hong Kong (referred to in paragraph 8 of my letter of 26 January) returned to China without incident.

CONFIDENTIAL Wilson)

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