TNAG-0972-FCO40-1191-Vietnamese-refugees-in-Hong-Kong-1980 — Page 69

CONFIDENTIAL

CALL ON MR BLAKER BY THE CHINESE AMBASSADOR AT 11.45 AM ON 17 JUNE

HONG KONG: ESSENTIAL FACTS

VIETNAMESE REFUGEES FROM CHINA

1. The Chinese have accepted a total of about 250,000 refugees

Towards the end of last year,

from Vietname for settlement.

some of these entered Hong Kong illegally, pretending to be

illegal immigrants from China. The Hong Kong Government took

the matter up with the Chinese who agreed to take back all

those that they confirmed had been accepted for settlement.

In January, they took back nearly 3,000.

2. Since then the Chinese have not taken any more. The matter

has been raised many times both in Peking and Hong Kong. The

Chinese have confirmed their earlier line, but so far without

result, although the NCNA in Hong bong have been sympathetic.

3', At the end of April, there were 2,314 such refugees in

Hong Kong. Most of these have now been in detention for 8 to

10 months. 765 more arrived in May and 754 have arrived so far

this month, making a total of 3,833.

4.

The total number of refugees in Hong Kong is still over

39,000.

CONFIDENTIAL

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