TNAG-1088-FCO40-1338-Illegal-immigration-from-China-to-Hong-Kong-1981 — Page 198

GPS 400 CONFIDENTIAL

CONFIDENTIAL

FM HONG KONG 070645Z JAN 81

TO PRIORITY FCO

НКК

сору

341

TELEGRAM NUMBER 11 OF 7 JANUARY RECEIVED IN MOSTRY NO. 5 AND TO ROUTINE UKMIS NEW YORK, WASHINGTON JAN 981

INFO HONG KONG COVT OFFICE LONDON

DEV INDEX

REGISTRY Action Taken

set to puso 19/2

Sea (12

YOUR TELNO 2: WANDERERS ASSOCIATION NOTESKMIS OR WASHINGTON) THE WANDERERS LINKS WITH TAIWAN COULD BE SUBSTANTIAL BUT THEY ARE NOT OVERT. ALTHOUGH WE WOULD NOT WISH THEIR STANDING LOCALLY TO BE ENHANCED BY BEING SEEN BY ANYONE SENIOR WE WOULD NOT OBJECT IF THEIR 3 REPRESENTATIVES (CHOW, YU AND STU) WERE SEEN AT BELOW HEAD OF DEPARTMENT LEVEL IN THE OFFICE IF YOU THINK THAT A REFUSAL MIGHT GAIN THEM MORE PUBLICITY AND SUPPORT. IT IS NEVERTHELESS

LIKELY THAT, WHOEVER THEY SEE, THEY WILL TRY TO GAIN AS MUCH PUBLICITY AS POSSIBLE OUT OF THE INTERVIEW. IT WILL PROBABLY BE NECESSARY THEREFORE TO PRODUCE A PRESS LINE AFTER THE INTERVIEW.

2. THE WANDERERS HAVE CONTINUED TO SEEK PUBLICITY HERE. THEY

PRESENTED A PETITION ABOUT

(MYTELNO 1671) COUCHED IN THEATRICAL TERMS. WHEN THEY WERE NOT ALLOWED TO HAND IT IN PERSON TO THE SECRETARY FOR SECURITY, IT WAS

RED

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CEREMONIALLY TORN UP. A FURTHER PLOY WAS TO TRY TO DELIVER A LETTER OF PROTEST TO THE NCNA. THE LETTER REPORTEDLY REFERRED AGAIN TO LAU AND CONDEMNED CHINESE AGREEMENT TO HONG KONG'S NEW IMMIGRATION POLICY. NONA REFUSED TO ACCEPT THE LETTER ON THE GROUNDS THAT THE POLICY WAS A MATTER FOR THE HONG KONG GOVERNMENT.

3. DESPITE THESE ACTIVITIES, THE WANDERERS HAVE GAINED NO PUBLIC SUPPORT AND LITTLE PUBLICITY OTHER THAN IN THE RIGHT-WING PRESS. BUT THEY ARE UP TO ALL THE MORE OBVIOUS TRICKS AND IN AN ENVIRONMENT WHERE THE DAMAGE DONE TO HONG KONG BY MASSIVE ILLEGAL IMMIGRATION MAY NOT BE SO READILY APPARENT THEY COULD GAIN SOME SYMPATHY. IF THEY DO AROUSE INTEREST IN OUR NEW IMMIGRATION POLICY, YOU COULD DRAW ON THE INFORMATION PAPER PREPARED HERE IN OCTOBER **BACKGROUND TO THE PROBLEM OF ILLEGAL IMMIGRATION FROM CHINA INTO HONG KONG''. WITH REGARD TO THE DETAILS OF LAU'S CASE, THE

INFORMATION IN PARAGRAPHS 2 AND 3 IN MY TELNO 1671 COULD BE USED. (THERE IS NO EVIDENCE WHATSOEVER THAT LAU HAS BEEN MALTREATED SINCE

HE WAS RETURNED ON 20 DECEMBER AND THE WANDERERS HAVE FAILED TO PUT ANY FORWARD). WITH RELIABLE CONTACTS YOU COULD HINT AT THE

WANDERERS POLITICAL BACKGROUND.

4. VISAS HAVE NOW BEEN GRANTED. THE TRIO PLAN TO TRAVEL ON BA20 LEAVING HERE ON 16 JANUARY 1981. SINCE THEY SPEAK LITTLE ENGLISH THEY ARE HOPING FORMER STUDENTS OF THE BAPTIST COLLEGE NOW STUDYING IN UK WILL MEET THEM AND SHEPHERD THEM ROUND. THEY SAY THEY INTEND TO PETITION BUCKINGHAM PALACE, THE PRIME MINISTER AND THE HOUSE OF COMMONS AND LATER THE UN HUMAN RIGHTS COMMITTEE, THE UN SECRETARY GENERAL AND THE US CONGRESS. THEY WILL SEEK VISAS FOR

THE USA IN LONDON MACLEHOSE

MINIMAL

HRED (4)

MVD

NEWS D

INFORMAMOND

THIS TELEGRAM

WAS NOT

COPIES

то

HONG KONG GOVERNMENT

LONDON

OFFICE

ADVANCED

CONFIDENTAL