CONFIDENTIAL
4 sectià, of“
4.
I said we were extremely disturbed at the rapia vise in illegals and gave examples of reports we had had concerning secret vuilding of boats (speaking note attached). In the previous 24 hours some 450 ilegals had beell arrested, over 80% of boats coming from the northeast of Hong Kong. This trend could only be expected to grow during the northeast monsoon and we hoped urgent preventive measures cvid be taken. Mr Tan said the Chinese sice, toc. wanted number to come down, He was urateful for the detailed information and copies would be sent immediately to hot. Canton and Peking, He asked whether information he had passed me earlier on syndicates operating iu Hong Kong to organize illegal immigration had produced results. I suil that the Police had found the material extremely helpful, but that investigations took time. I would let him know as soon as possible if any arrests resulted.
However,
t was also important that people were aware that their activities were being watched. Mr Tan said that the authorities in Huiyang county vere anxious that those responsible should be brought to account, since this would greatly aid their own efforts to demonstrace that encouraging illegal immigration did not pay.
5.
:
Mz Tar chen said that he had been asked by che authorities in Canton to convey a message concerning the 197 infra-red floodlights' which had been installed at 25 meters along the Jand border and which were lit between 1900 and 0500 hours. These lights faced the Chinese side and their strength and direction affected the officiency of guards patrolling on the Chinese side, since they wore easily seen by illegals. The Guangdong authoritics were also concerned about the effects of the light on people exposed to them for long periods. They requested that steps should be taken to re-arrange the direction so that the light dis not 'fall squarely on the Chinese side. The purpose of the lights was well understood and it was purely a question of taking measures to prevent undesirable side effects. I told Mr Tan that I would ask whether any change in direction was feasible. The effectiveness of the lights had been an important element in our own measures to control illegal immigration and there was certainly no intention that they should, in any way, undermine the overall effective-. ness of measures being taken on both sides. After consulting PAS (3)Ops, I told Mr Tan on 4 October that the lights were of the normal sodium type used (at lesser intensity) for street lighting. There was no question of their being infra-red or causing damage to people illuminated by them. I hoped he would pass this reassurance quickly to the relevant bodies) I would contact him later on the possibility of any adjustment being made to the direction.
Legal Immigration
6.
I passed over the full figures for September and a
CONFIDENTIAL
3/speaking....
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