TNAG-0905-FCO40-1115-Immigration-from-China-to-Hong-Kong-1979 — Page 5

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GRS 600

SECRET

SECRET

FM HONG KONG 110845Z JUL 79

TO PRIORITY F C O

TELEGRAM NUMBER 971 OF 11 JULY

HKK 341|1

INFO PRIORITY PEKING, ROUTINE WASHINGTON:

ILLEGAL IMMIGRATION FROM CHINA.

по ты? gib.?

1. THE NUMBERS OF ILLEGALS HAVE DROPPED FROM A DAILY AVERAGE ARREST RATE IN THE 1ST WEEK IN JUNE OF 654 TO 22 A DAY FOR JULY

SO FAR.

154

see (1155A

2. THE STEPS TAKEN BY THE CHINESE TO ACHIEVE THIS RESULT APPEAR

TO HAVE BEEN AS FOLLOWS :-

A. ON 19 JUNE AN ANTI-ILLEGAL EMIGRATION CAMPAIGN STARTED IN THE

BORDER AREA OF SHENZHEN:

B. ON 12 JUNE A GUANGDONG PROVINCIAL DOCUMENT LISTED NEW AND STRICTER MEASURES AGAINST ESCAPERS WHICH WERE BROADCAST BY

GUANGZHOU RADIO ON 16 JUNE:

C. WE HAVE FIRST-HAND REPORTS OF ANIT-ILLEGAL EMIGRATION FOSTERS AND BANNERS PLASTERED UP IN SHENZHEN AND NO DOUBT THE SAME HAS

HAPPENED ELSEWHERE:

LAST

D. IN THE LAST WEEK OF MAY, UNITS OF THE 42ND ARMY BEGAN TO RETURN FROM THE VIETNAME FRONT. CONTRARY TO EXPECTATION THEY WERE ALREADY ACTIVE IN ANTI-ILLEGAL EMIGRATION OPERATIONS AS EARLY

AS THE END OF THE FIRST WEEK OF JUNE.

3. WE DEDUCE A DECISION TAKEN AT ABOUT THE END OF THE FIRST WEEK CF JUNE ON THE PEKING AS WELL AS THE GUANGZHOU LEVEL. THE FOLLOWING FACTORS PROBABLY INFLUENCED THIS SURPRISINGLY LONG

DELAYED ACTION:-

A, THE SHEER NUMBERS. AGRICULTURAL AND SOCIAL ORDER WERE BEING AFFECTED, WE KRUM DE PRODUCTION BRIGADES REDUCED TO HALF STRENGTH:

THIS IS A COPY

THE ORIGINAL HAS BEEN RETAINED

IN THE DEPARTMENT UNDER

SECTION 3 (4) OF THE PUBLIC RECORDS ACT 1088

SECRET

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