TNAG-0937-FCO40-1156-Visits-of-Sir-Murray-MacLehose--Governor-of-Hong-Kong--to-th-1980 — Page 227

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Jassume that this was duly passed to Ts Bray? PL?

FM HONG KONG #41653Z JAN 83

TO PRIORITY FCO

TELEGRAM NUMBER 29 OF 4 JANUARY

02

? JAN 1920

икебя г

4904

INOX PASSED BY G.0.0.]

INFO PRIORITY HONG KONG GOVT OFFICE LOMODON

(HKK Dee:1026/4

FOR HK AND GENERAL DEPARTMENT PLEASE PASS TO BRAY PERSONAL FROM FORD.

IN VIEW OF THE UNCERTAINTIES OF THE POST I AM SENDING THIS SECOND BRIEFING FOR SIR MURRAY AS A TELEGRAM. GRATEFUL IF YOU COULD ARRANGE FOR HIM TO SEE IT ON ARRIVAL IN LONDON.

KIGRATION

1.

(A) LEGALS

THE TOTAL NUMBER OF ARRIVALS WITHOUT ONWARD VISAS DURING 1979 WAS 70,456 A DAILY AVERAGE OF 13 FOR THE YEAR. THIS COMPARES

TO A DAILY AVERAGE OF 185 FOR 1978. THE DECEMBER DAILY AVERAGE WAS

159.

(B) ILLEGAL S

THE TOTAL NUMBER OF REPATRIATICES DURING 1979 WAS 89,241 A DAILY AVERAGE OF 237. THIS COMPARES TO A DAILY AVERAGE IN 1978 OF 22. THE ARREST FIGURE OF 15,047 IN DECEMBER WAS THE HIGHEST MONTHLY TOTAL SINCE 1962. ONE OF THE REASONS FOR THIS VERY HIGH FIGURE MAY HAVE BEEN THE WIDESPREAD BELIEF IN CHINA THAT TOUGH NEW MEASURES WERE TO BE INTRODUCED ON 1 JANUARY. THE GUANGDONG PROVINCIAL COMMITTEE APPROVED NEW REGULATIONS ABOUT ESCAPING ON 26 DECEMBER BUT WE DO NOT YET KNOW WHEN THEY WILL BE ENFORCED,

THE DAILY FIGURES FROM THE 31 DECEMBER TO 4 JANUARY INCLUSIVE HAVE BEEN 127, 147,150, 89 AND 43. THESE RECENT FIGURES ARE MILDLY ENCOURAGING BUT IT IS OBVIOUSLY TOO EARLY TO MAKE ANY ASSESSMENT OF THE EFFECTIVENESS OF CHINESE MEASURES IN THE LONGER TERA.

(2) VIETNAMESE REFUGEES.

THERE IS VERY LITTLE CHANGE IN THE SITUATION SINCE MY FIRST LETTER. WE PRESENTLY HAVE $5,455 IN HONG KONG BUT THE FORECASTED RESETTLEMENT FOR JANUARY IS QUITE ENCOURAGING.

VIETNAMESE

THERE ARE RUNCJRS EMERGING FROM VIETNAM THATTHE GOVERNMENT IS PLANNING TO ALLOW A FURTHER EXODUS DURIKU

THE ERLY MONTHSOF THIS YEAR BUT THESE HAVE NOT BEEN SUBSTANTIATED.

THERE IS NO SIGN OF REFUGEES STARTING TO ARRIVE ANYWHERE IN THE REGION IN ANY WUMBERS, THE REPATRIATION OF THE FIRST GROUP OF ABOUT 132 OF THE NEW BATCH OF VIETNAMESE REFUGEES TO CHINA IS PROVISIONALLY PLANNED FOR WEDNESDAY 9 JANUARY. FOLLOWING AN EXAMINATION OF THE CASES FILES AND ONE SAMPLE INTERVIEW UNHOR HAVE INDICATED ACQUIESCENCE BUT NOT AGREEMENT TO CUR REPATRIATION OF THIS FIRST GROUP. THEY WILL ALMOST CERTAINLY RAISE FURTHER DIFFICULTIES OVER THE GROUPS WHICH WE PROPOSE TO RETURN LATER IN JANUARY. THE SUCCESS OF THE WHOLE OPERATION WILL DEPEND LARGELY ON THE ATTITUDE OF THE REFUGEES THEMSELVES. WE WILL HAVE

A MUCH CLEAREP IDEA ON THIS AFTER THE 9TH.

(3) JOHN NOTT'S VISIT. MY TELNO 29 TO FCO

GIVES THE DETAILED PROGRAMME FOR MR NOTT'S VISIT MOST OF WHICH WAS SUGGESTED BY HIM PERSONALLY. YOU WLL NOTE THAT THERE IS A GOVERNMENT HOUSE DINNER FOR HIM ON THE 26 JANUARY. THE INVITATIONS FOR THIS SHOULD GO OUT SHORTLY AND A PROPOSED GUEST LIST WILL BE SENT TO THE LONDON OFFICE EARLY NEXT WEEK. WE WOULD BE GRATEFUL FOR ANY COMMENTS.

(4) 1986/31 BUDGET.

THE FS HAS ASKED ME TO SAY THAT THE FIGURES IN AND THE GENERAL DRIFT ON HIS MINUTE OF 1 DECEMBER REMAIN VALID SO FAR AND THAT THE PREPARATION OF THE DRAFT ESTIMATES (BUT NOT THE BUDGET SPEECH)

IS PROGRESSING WELL.

(5) CIVIL SERVICE DISPUTES.

THE DISPENSERS SITUATION REMAINS AS IN MY LAST LETTER AND THERE ARE NO OTHER DISPUTES OF NOTE.

(6) DIVERSIFICATION REPORT.

THE DIVERSIFICATION REPORT WAS PUBLISHED ON THE 14 DECEMBER AND WAS VERY WELL RECEIVED LOCALLY.

(7) RENTS AND SPECULATION

THE ISSUE HAS QUIETENED DOWN CONSIDERABLY SINCE THE ANNOUNCEMENT

OF RENT INCREASE CONTROL. THE REAL ESTATE DEVELOPERS ARE HOWEVER STILL TRYING TO STIR UP INTEREST BY LOBBYING UMELCO ETC., AND THERE IS STILL SOME CONCERN ABOUT THE PROBLEM OF SPECULATION. A PAPER ON THIS IS TO GO TO EXCO ON THE 15 JAN AURY. (B) EXCO ON 9 JANUARY.

THIS WILL BE A BUSY MORNING WITH PAPERS ON: THE LANDLORD AND TENANT BILL (RENTS): SECURITY FORCE LEVELS IN THE 80'S: AND APPLICATIONS FOR FARE INCREASES FROM CMB AND KMB. (3)NEW BOAT SERVICE -HONG KONG-CHINA.

YOU MAY BE INTERESTED TO KNOW PERSONALLY THAT THE NEW BOAT SERVICE FROM AMOY TO HONG KONG STARTED ON THE 2 JANUARY. PASSENGERS ARE ALLOWED TO TRAVEL ON THE SAME BASIS AS FOR THE THROUGH TRAIN. IT IS AS YET TOO EARLY TO SAY HOW POPULAR THE SERVICE WILL BE. A SERVICE TO SHANGHAI ANDA NIGHT SERVICE TO CANTON ARE ALSO DUE TO START SOON

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