TNAG-1425-FCO40-1908-Vietnamese-refugees-in-Hong-Kong-general-1985 — Page 183

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

ie most?

GR 250

CONFIDENTIAL

FM HONG KONG 290845Z APR 35

TO IMMEDIATE HANOI

My Walke

CONFIDENTIAL per 243/5

TELEGRAM NUMBER 30 OF 29 APRIL

INFO PRIORITY HONG KONG GOVERNMENT OFFICE LONDON, F C O

ROUTINE UKMIS GENEVA, HKGO GENEVA (FOR THE ATTENTION OF CARTLAND), HKGO BRUSSELS (JONES), HKGO NEW YORK (DORWARD), HKGO WASHINGTON (LO)

VIETNAMESE REFUGEES

WE WOULD BE GRATEFUL FOR YOUR VIEWS ON THE FOLLOWING TRANSLATION

OF A REPORT IN THE WAH KIU YAT PO (A LEFT WING HONG KONG NEWSPAPER) OF 23 APRIL:

1

BEGINS: ''(JIJI NEWS AGENCY, HANOI, 22.4.35) MR LE DUE THO, POLITBUREAU MEMBER OF THE COMMUNIST PARTY OF VIETNAM, MET PRESS REPORTERS ON 21.4.85. HE COMMENTED ON THE 550,000 VIETNAMESE **REFUGEES ON THE SEA WHO TOOK TO THEIR HEELS FOR OTHER COUNTRIES WHEN THE WAR OF VIETNAM ENDED. HE DISCLOSED THAT IF THESE REFUGEES

WISHED TO RETURN TO THEIR HOME COUNTRY, THEY WOULD BE PERMITTED TO

LAND.

MR LE SAID, ''REFUGEES ARE ALMOST A CONCOMITANT OF CHANGE OF REGIME. THEIR EMERGENCE IS ALWAYS THE CASE. BUT, AS TO THE MAJORITY

OF REFUGEES WHO LEFT BECAUSE THEY WERE DISSATISFIED WITH THE

MISERABLE LIVELIHOOD OR THE POLITICAL POWER, ALL OF THEM (EXCEPT

WAR CRIMINALS) ARE WELCOME TO COME BACK TO THEIR HOME COUNTRY NOW

THAT SITUATIONS HAVE RETURNED TO NORMAL. IN FACT, WE HAVE ALL ALONG

BEEN TREATING THESE REFUGEES AS VIETNAMESE NATIONALS.'' ENDS.

2. IN PARTICULAR, WE WOULD BE INTERESTED TO LEARN THE PRESENT STATUS

OF MR LE DUE THO AND WHY HE SHOULD CHOOSE THIS PARTICULAR TIME TO

MAKE SUCH A STATEMENT (IF, INDEED, HE DID).

134

YOUDE

BOAT PEOPLE

LIMITED

SEAD

HKD

PS/LADY YOUNG PS/MR LUCE

PS/PUS

MR GOODALL

NEWS D MAED PS

MR O'NEILL

MR WILSON

ADDITIONAL DISTRIBUTION

BOAT PEOPLE

DOPIES TO: HKGO - LONDON

BIR W HARDING

CONFIDENTIAL

HKK 243/5

RECEIVED IN REGISTRY

30 APR 1985

REGISTRY

DNS* OFFICER

P

Action Taken

INDEX

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