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CONFIDENTIAL
GRS 465
CONFIDENTIAL
FM HONG KONG 301055Z NOV 79
TO PRIORITY F C O
TELEGRAM NUMBER 1683 OF 30 NOVEMBERİ
HEK 3Hilt
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RECEIVED IN RICETT
30801079
DESK OFFICER
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INFO PRIORITY PEKING, ROUTINE MODUK' (DS11) HONG KONG
GOVERNMENT OFFICE LONDON.
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COPY
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YOUR TELNO 983 (NOT TO ALL): ILLEGAL IMMIGRATION FROM CHINA.
1. YOUR TEL CROSSED WITH MY TEL NO 1666, PARAS 2 AND 4 OF WHICH PROVIDED SOME OF THE INFORMATION REQUESTED ON PUNISHMENT OF
ILLEGALS.
2. THERE IS NO STANDARD PUNISHMENT. OUR LATEST INFORMATION SUGGESTS THAT WHILE SOME CENTRAL GUIDANCE IS PROVIDED, THERE ARE CONSIDERABLE LOCAL VARIATIONS AT THE COUNTY AND EVEN
COMMUNE LEVEL. GENERALLY THERE IS NO DIFFERENCE BETWEEN
PUNISHMENTS FOR THOSE ARRESTED IN CHINA AND THOSE REPATRIATED.
3. PERIODS IN DETENTION, LABOUR WITHOUT PAY AND FINES ARE ALL USED, WITH CONSIDERABLE VARIATIONS IN THE MIX. DETENTION IS
USUALLY FOR NO MORE THAN ONE WEEK AND OFTEN ONLY A DAY OR
TWO (NO DOUBT BECAUSE OF PRESSURE OF NUMBERS). LABOUTR WITHOUT
PAY CAN BE FROM A FEW DAYS TO SEVERAL MONTHS, LONGER PERIODS
BEING COMMONER WITH THOSE WHO HAVE MADE REPEATED ATTEMPTS TO
ESCAPE. THERE HAVE BEEN RECENT CASES OF IMPRISONMENT FOR LONGER
PERIODS, BUT THESE ARE GENERALLY ASSOCIATED WITH PEOPLE ORGANISING
ESCAPES OR THOSE WHO HAVE USED FORCE OR STOLEN BOATS IN THEIR
ATTEMPT. FINES RANGE FROM 10 TO 500 YUAN, THE HEAVIER ONES
BEING GENERALLY A PUNISHMENT FOR FAMILIES OF SUCCESSFUL ILLEGAL
EMIGRANTS. THERE HAVE BEEN PERSISTENT RUMOURS OF HIGHER AND
MORE STANDARD PENALTIES, E.G. 3, 6 AND 12 MONTHS IMPRISONMENT FOR THOSE MAKING THEIR 1ST, 2ND AND 3RD ATTEMPT RESPECTIVELY. HOWEVER, WE HAVE AS YET NO FIRM EVIDENCE OF HEAVIER PUNISHMENTS
BEING APPLIED WIDELY. SOME OF THE RUMOURS CLAIM THAT THESE
PUNISHMENTS WILL COME INTO EFFECT AT THE SAME TIME AS CHINAS
NEW LEGAL CODE, ON 1 JANUARY. SUCH RUMOURS MAY WELL HAVE
CONTRIBUTED TO THE RECENT SPATE OF ARRIVALS.
CONFIDENTIAL
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