TNAG-0972-FCO40-1191-Vietnamese-refugees-in-Hong-Kong-1980 — Page 66

Original at: HICK 34111

This Copy for:

Information only / Action on

CONFIDENTIAL

CONENTIAL

HKCK 243/4

Para(s)

DESKBY 190600Z

FM HONG KONG 190507Z JUN 80

TO IMMEDIATE PEKING

TELEGRAM NUMBER 171 OF 19 JUNE

RECEIVED IN REGISTRY NO. 51

19 JUN 1980

INFO FCO HONG KONG GOVT OFFICE ONDO BESKR INFO SAVING UKMIS GENEVA

Nie

INDEX

YOUR TELNO 398 TO FCO (NOT TO ALL): CAL

IMMIGRATION AND VIETNAMESE REFUGEES. ILLEGAL IMMIGRATION.

PA

RUSISTRY Action Taken.

N

Fity

ON CHINESE MINISTER-

UP TO 18 JUNE 4,878 ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS HAVE BEEN REPATRIATED THIS

MONTH, A DAILY AVERAGE OF 271.

VIETNAMESE REFUGEES VIA CHINA

2. AS CF. TODAY 881 VIETNAMESE REFUGEES ARRIVING THIS MONTH HAVE BEEN IDENTIFIED AS COMING FROM CHINA, COMPARED WITH 472 DIRECT ARRIVALS FROM CENTRAL AND SOUTHERN VIETNAM. 9 BOATS WITH 722 REFUGEES

ARE STILL UNDER INVESTIGATION.

3. WE HAVE NOW IDENTIFIED ONE BOAT WHICH ARRIVED ON 14 JUNE WITH

IN GUANGX!. THOSE ON BOARD 16 REFUGEES AS COMING FROM BEIHAI CLAIMED TO HAVE LEFT VIETNAM IN LATE 1978. SOME MORE SMALL BOATS UNDER INVESTIGATION ARE ALSO SUSPECTED OF COMING FROM BEIHAI. WE

BELIEVE THERE ARE UP TO 1,000 SMALL BOATS THERE WHICH HAVE NOT YET BEEN INTEGRATED INTO FISHING COMMUNES WITH ACCOMMODATION ON LAND

AREA IF IT IS NOT DEALT WITH . THIS COULD BE A SERIOUS PROBLEM

QUICKLY.

4. ONE BOAT WHICH ARRIVED YESTERDAY WITH 141 VIETNAMESE REFUGEES ON BOARD WAS THE FIRST IN THE PAST TWO MONTHS TO COME DIRECT TO HONG KONG RATHER THAN VIA MACAU. IT CAME FROM SHUNDE (7311/1795) IN FOSHAN PREFECTURE, GUANGDONG. SOME OF THE REFUGEES WERE FROM DAWANG FARM ( A SOURCE OF MANY ARRIVALS LAST YEAR) WITH OTHERS FROM BOLUO AND HUIYANG COUNTIES IN GUANGDONG AND ALSO FROM FARMS IN GUANGXI AND FUJIAN. THE REFUGEES SAID THEY HAD COME BECAUSE OF

RUMOURS THAT WESTERN COUNTRIES WERE ACCEPTING VIETNAMESE REFUGEES FOR DEVELOPMENT PROJECTS OVERSEAS. THEY MADE NO ATTEMPT TO PRETEND · THAT THEY HAD COME DIRECT FROM VIETNAM.

5. THE LOCAL UNHCR OFFICE TOLD US YESTERDAY THAT ABCUT 90 OVERSEAS CHINESE FROM INDONESIA LIVING IN FARMS IN GUANGDONG HAVE REACHED MACAU ON BOATS BOUGHT BY VIETNAMESE REFUGEES.

FCO PLEASE PASS SAVING ADDS MACCEHOVE

FILE S

(REPEATED AS REQUESTED)

SEAD

HK & GD

UND

FED

ECD

PUSD

OID

IPD

NEWS D MAED 7VD

LEGAL ADVISERS

(MR RUSHFORD) PS PS/LPS

PS/MR BLAKER

PS/MR RIDLEY

PS/PUS

MA-STRATION

YL MURRAY

SIR D MAITLAND

MR DONALD

LORD NG LENNOX

ADDITIONAL DISTRIBUTION BOAT PEOPLE

Coples

HONG KONG Goor ofFICE

CONFIDENTIAL.

THIS TELEGRAM WAS NOT ADVANCED

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