TNAG-1090-FCO40-1340-Illegal-immigration-from-China-to-Hong-Kong-of-refugees-orig-1981 — Page 54

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CONFIDENTIAL

CONFIDENTIAL

19

FM HONG KONG 181298Z MAY 81

TO IMMEDIATE F C O

TELEGRAM NUMBER 507 OF 18 MAY

TOP COPY

341/2

MICK RECEIVED BY

1 S MAY 1981

INFO IMMEDIATE PEKING LISBON PRIORITY UKMIS GENEVÄ

ROUTINE HONG KONG GOVERNMENT OFFICE LONDON

VIETNAMESE REFUGEES FROM CHINA.

INDEX

No Maria Pro 14

1. OVER THE PAST FEW DAYS SOME 1,280 VIETNAMESE REFUGEES PREVIOUSLY SETTLED IN CHINA HAVE ARRIVED IN MACAU, THE MACAU GOVERNMENT HAS TOLD US THROUGH THE PORTUGUESE CONSUL-GENERAL, CATARINO: THE BOATS ARE UNSEAWORTHY, THEY HAVE NO INTENTION OF ALLOWING THEM TO PROCEED TO HONG KONG: AND THEY HAVE TOLD LOCAL CHINESE REPRESENTATIVES THAT CHINA MUST ARRANGE TO TAKE THESE PEOPLE BACK QUICKLY. HOWEVER, THE RESPONSE (NOT BASED ON ANY COMMUNICATION WITH GUANGZHOU OR NCNA HERE) WAS UNHELPFUL.

2. THIS IS NOT ONLY A MACAU PROBLEM. SO FAR THIS YEAR 674 SUCH PEOPLE HAVE ARRIVED HERE, ALL BUT A HANDFUL VIA MACAU, ONLY 28 OF THEM HAVE RETURNED TO CHINA. WITH THE BACKLOG, THERE ARE 3,090 HERE.

3. THE ARRIVALS IN MACAU SPEAK OF UP TO 20,000 ON THE

SOUTH CHINA COAST PREPARING TO LEAVE: JUST RUMOURS, BUT WORRYING.

4. IDENTIFICATION OF BOATLOADS FROM CHINA IS NO PROBLEM, HERE

OR IN MACAU. APART FROM THE BOATS BEING IN NO CONDITION FOR AN OPEN SEA, 98 PER CENT OF DIRECT ARRIVALS FROM VIETNAM IN THE PAST 18 MONTHS HAVE BEEN ETHNIC VIETNAMESE, COMPARED WITH ABOUT 10 PER CENT ON BOATS FROM CHINA.

5. THE PROBLEM IS IDENTIFYING WHERE REFUGEES FROM VIETNAM WERE

SETTLED IN CHINA. THEY LIE AND THE CHINESE TOLD THE POLITICAL

ADVISER WHEN HE RECENTLY VISITED GUANGZHOU THAT EVEN IF NAMES

AND PLACES ON LISTS WE PROVIDE ARE CORRECT, STATE FARM MANAGERS

WHO DO NOT WANT TROUBLE-MAKERS BACK WILL SOMETIMES DENY

KNOWLEDGE OF THEM.

6. AGAINST THIS BACKGROUND IT IS INCREASINGLY CLEAR THAT SUCH PEOPLE, WHO HAVE GENERALLY BEEN IN CHINA FOR AT LEAST 2. YEARS,

SHOULD BE HANDLED IN THE SAME WAY AS ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS (EXCEPT, WHERE CIRCUMSTANCES WARRANT IT, FOR OPPORUTNITIES OF FURTHER RESETTLEMENT FROM CHINA UNDER UNHCR AUSPICES).

7. CATARINO TOLD ACTING POLITICAL ADVISER THE PORTUGUESE

GOVERNMENT WILL NOT BE WILLING TO DISCUSS THIS PROBLEM WITH THE CHINESE OTHER THAN IN MACAU: NOT BECAUSE OF PROBLEMS IN

BILATERAL RELATIONS, BUT BECAUSE OF THE PROCEDURAL RELATIONSHIP

ETWEEN THE TERRITORY OF MACAU AND PORTUGAL'',

8. IF YOU AGREE, GRATEFUL IF PEKING WOULD SPEAK URGENTLY TO

THE MFA ASKING1

CONFIDENTIAL

See-Fro.