TNAG-0981-FCO40-1200-Immigration-from-China-to-Hong-Kong-1980 — Page 79

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HKCK 341/1

RECEIVED IN REGISTRY NO. 51

FM HONG KONG 062940Z MAR 80 07 MAR 1980

TO PRIORITY FCO

DESK OFFICER

INDEX

PA

TELEGRAM NUMBER 343 OF 16 MARCH

REGISTRY Action Taken

Aw 713 AW 7/3

INFO PRIORITY PEKING ROUTINE HONG KONG GOVT OFFICE LONODON

35

PEKING TELNO 77: RETURN OF AN ILLEGAL IMMIGRANT.

THE LOCAL LEFT-WING CHINESE PRESS CARRIED A STORY YESTERDAY, SOURCED TO THE CAN TON SOUTHERN DAILY, ABOUT

BEING

UNDER ARREST IN CANTON AND ABOUT TO FACE TRIAL. IT DESCRIBED

ACTIVITIES IN ORGANIZING ILLEGAL IMMIGRATION AND SAYS THAT 'HE SNEAKED INTO HONG KONG ON SEVERAL OCCASIONS'. IT DOES NOT MENTION APPROACHES TO THE HONG KONG GOVERNMENT NOR REMOVAL FROM HONG KONG. THE READER IS LEFT WITH THE IMPRESSION THAT

WAS ARRESTED INA NORMAL WAY IN CHINA.

2. WE HAVE NOT HAD ANY QUESTIONS FROM THE MEDIA, NOR DO WE INTEND TO SAY ANYTHING UNLESS PRESSED. IF WE ARE THEN ASKED WHETHER

WAS RETURNED TO CHINA FROM HERE, WE SHALL SIMPLY

SAY THAT HE WAS REMOVED AS AN UNDESIRABLE IMMIGRANT UNDER SECTION

19 OF THE IMMIGRATION ORDINANCE. IF FURTHER PRESSED ABOUT

WHETHER THE CHINESE ASKED FOR HIS RETURN, WE WOULD ADD THAT WE

HAD BEEN ALERTED TO THE POSSIBILITY THAT HE MIGHT BE IN HONG

KONG BY THE CHINESE AUTHORITIES: THAT INDEPENDENT POLICE INVESTIGATIONS REVEALED EVIDENCE OF HIS ACTIVITIES IN ORGANISING

ILLEGAL IMMIGRATION INTO HONG KONG: AND THAT HE WAS THEREFORE REMOVED UNDER THE IMMIGRATION CRDINANCE.

MACLEHOSE

FILES

HKX GD

FED

MVD

[THIS TELEGRAM WAS NOT ADVANCED]

COPIES то

HONG KONG GOVERNMENT OFFICE

LONDON

NEWS.D

PUS D

MR CORTAZZI

MR MURRAY

CONFIDENTIAL