TNAG-0972-FCO40-1191-Vietnamese-refugees-in-Hong-Kong-1980 — Page 76

FCO40 Hong Kong Department Records 聯邦事務部香港部檔案 All

GR 295

CONFIDENTIAL

FM HONG KONG 1010002 JUN

CONFIDENTIAL

TO PRIORITY FOREIGN AND COMMONWEALTH OFFICE TELEGRAM NUMBER 750 OF 10 JUNE, 1980

TOP COPY

НСК 24314

INFO PRIORITY HONG KONG GOVERNMENT OFFICE LONDON, BANOI,- UKMIS

GENEVA, WASHINGTON, BANGKOK, KUALA LUMPUR, SINGAPORE, MANILA, JUN 920

JAKARTA AND PEKING.

INFO SAVING CANBERRA AND OTTAWA.

나나

DESK OFFICIA

INDEX

PA

XY

Action Taken

Awयान

tho A..). Aw 21

HANOI TELNO 101 TO YOU AND MY TELNO 734 (SAVING TO [SOME.

ADDRESSEES): VIETNAMESE REFUGEES FROM VIETNAM AND CHINA.

1. WE HAVE NO EVIDENCE FROM RECENT ARRIVALS HERE TO SUGGEST THAT

THE VIETNAMESE ARE TURNING ON THE TAP AGAIN. THE INCREASE IN DIRECT ARRIVALS FROM VIETNAM FROM 387 IN APRIL TO 635 IN MAY WAS

AS WE WOULD HAVE EXPECTED, GIVEN CONTINUED ATTEMPTS BY PREDOMINANTLY ETHNIC VIETNAMESE TO LEAVE CLANDESTINELY AND MORE FAVOURABLE WEATHER CONDITIONS FOR THE VOYAGE TO HONG KONG. THE WORRYING TREND IN MAY. WAS THE ARRIVAL OF 765 VIETNAMESE REFUGEES VIA MACAU FROM PLACES

WHERE THEY HAD BEEN SETTLED IN CHINA.

2. THE SAME PATTERN HAS CONTINUED THIS MONTH. UP TO 10 JUNE THERE

WERE 989 ARRIVALS, OF WHICH 334 CAME DIRECTLY FROM CENTRAL AND SOUTHERN VIETNAM, THE REMAINING 655 ARE KNOWN OR STRONGLY SUSPECTED TO HAVE COME FROM CHINA VIA MACAU. IN THE CASE OF 2 BOATS WHICH ARRIVED ON 7 JUNE THE MACAU POLICE HAD PUT REFUGEES COMING FROM CHINA ON 11 SMALL SAMPANS ON TO 2 LARGER MOTORIZED

VESSELS, INCLUDING WITH THEM A SEPARATE BOATLOAD WHICH HAD COME DIRECT FROM VIETNAM.

3. POLITICAL ADVISER ASKED THE NCNA TODAY TO TAKE URGENT ACTION TO CONTROL THIS OUTFLOW AND ARRANGE EARLY REPATRIATIONS. THE NCNA

WERE SYMPATHETIC AND SAID THAT THEY HAD ALREADY ASKED THE AUTHORITIES IN CHINA TO TAKE ACTION ON BOTH COUNTS.

4. WE ARE RAISING WITH THE PORTUGESE CONSUL-GENERAL THE

BEHAVIOUR OF THE MACAU POLICE IN SENDING THESE BOATS ON TO HONG KONG

F.C.O. PASS SAVING OTTAWA AND CANBERRA.

[REPEATED AS REQUESTED)

PS/MR BLAKER

MACLEHOSE

FILES

PS

SEAD

PS/LPS

HK & GD

UND

FED

ECD

PUSD

OID

IPD

NEWS D MAED

PS/MR RIDLEY

PS/PUS

SIR D MAITLAND

MR MURRAY

MR STRATTON

LORD NG LENNOX

ADDITIONAL DISTN.

BOAT PEOPLE

(THIS TELEGRAM WAS NOT ADVANCED]

MR RUSHFORD (LEGAL ADV.)

CONFIDENTIAL

40

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