TNAG-1090-FCO40-1340-Illegal-immigration-from-China-to-Hong-Kong-of-refugees-orig-1981 — Page 33

9P5240

CONFIDENTIAL

C

FM HONG KONG 181054Z JUN 81

TO IMMEDIATE FCO

TELEGRAM NUMBER 608 OF 18 JUNE

TAL

HICK 341/2 ник

TOP 1930 1981

134

INFO PRIORTY PEKING, UKMIS GENEVA,

LISBON

INFO ROUTINE HONG KONG GOVT OFFICE LONDON

33

MYTELNO 603 VIETNAMESE REFUGEES FROM CHINA.

DESK OFFIOSH

INDEX

PA

REGISTRY ĮAction Tuken

No

Pas 22/6.

ACTING PA TOLD THE NCNA ACTING FIRST DIRECTOR TODAY OF OUR CONCERN AT THE RAPID DETERIORATION IN THIS PROBLEM (GIVING THE DETAILS IN REFTEL) AND SAID WE HOPED STEPS WOULD BE TAKEN URGENTLY TO CURB THE OUTFLOW. HE ASKED THAT SIGNIFICANT NUMBERS (1-2,000) EE RETURNED TO CHINA WITHIN THE NEXT WEEK AND FOR SIMPLIFIED RETURN PROCEDURES

TO BE USED IN FUTURE.

2. LI SAID THE CENTRAL AND PROVINCIAL GOVERNMENTS WERE FULLY AWARE OF THE SERIOUSNESS OF THE PROBLEM. HE UNDERSTOOD THAT AN INTERNAL MEETING WAS TO BE HELD SHORTLY: HE BELIEVED THAT BEFORE LONG'' ARRANGEMENTS WOULD BE MADE FOR FURTHER GROUPS TO RETURN. THE ROOT OF THE PROBLEM WAS THE ATTITUDE OF THE REFUGEES. MANY HAD BEEN SMALL TRADERS IN VIETNAM AND DID NOT ADJUST WELL TO FARMING . HE ADDED THAT THE PROVINCIAL GOVERNMENT HAD NOT BEEN ABLE TO CONTROL DISTRICT GOVERNMENTS SUFFICIENTLY: BUT CLOSER CONTROLS WERE NOW BEING ENFORCED.

3. LI SAID MACAU HAD BEEN ASKED TO PROVIDE DETAILED REPORTS LIKE HONG KONGS. HE APPRECIATED THE DIFFICULTIES BUT HOPED THIS COULD BE DONE AND THAT HONG KONG WOULD CONTINUE TO PROVIDE AS DETAILED INFORMATION AS POSSIBLE ON WHERE THE REFUGEES CAME FROM.

See 139

4. OFR SAID HE WAS GRATEFUL FOR LI'S COMMENTS. HOWEVER, THE PROBLEM OF REFUGEE ATTITUDES WOULD REMAIN, ONE HAD TO ASSUME THAT EVEN IF THIS OUTFLOW QUICKLY STOPPED THE PROBLEM COULD EASILY FLARE UP AGAIN. EVEN THE PROSPECT OF EVENTUAL RETURN TO CHINA WAS NO REAL DETERRENT, UNDER PRESENT PROCEDURES WHICH MEANT REFUGEES COULD LOOK FORWARD TO A LONG PERIOD BEING FED AND HOUSED FREE AND NOT HAVING TO WORK. THE PROBLEM COULD ONLY BE CONTAINED IF REFUGEES WERE RETURNED TO CHINA IMMEDIATELY NAMELISTS AND REPORTS HERE (AND IN MACAU) HAD BEEN COMPILED. AS A REALISTIC ADMINISTRATOR LI WOULD APPRECIATE THAT INTERNAL INVESTIGATIONS IN CHINA WOULD BE MORE EFFICIENT IF THE REFUGEES WERE THERE TO BE QUESTIONED: AND THAT THERE WAS DEMONSTRABLY LESS EFFECTIVE PRESSURE FROM PROVINCIAL LEVLS ON DISTRICT OFFICIALS WHILE THE REFUGEES WERE WAITING HERE.

5. LI SAID HE WOULD REPORT THESE COMMENTS TO PEKING. HE EMPHASISED THAT ACTION WAS ALREADY BEING TAKEN AND THE DIFFICULTIES IN HONG KONG AND MACAU WERE FULLY APPRECIATED. HE ALSO MENTIONED THE 'CONFUSED SITUATION OF BOATS FROM VIETNAM STOPPING IN CHINA AND SOMETIMES FICKING UP PEOPLE WHO HAD BEEN SETTLED. BUT DID NOT IMPLY THAT CHINA WAS REDEFINING THE STATUS OF THOSE WHO CROSSED TO CHINA IN EARLIER YEARS.

MACLE HOSE

LIMITED

HKJGD

SEAD

UND FED

NEWS D PS

PS/LPS PSI RIDLEY PSIPUS

MRDONALD

MRURE

LORD NG LENNOX

COPIES

то

HONG KONG GOVERMENT OFFICE

LONDON

CONFIDENTIAL