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FM HONG KONG
TO PRIORITY FCO
TELNO 2219
OF 08093OZ JUNE 88
TOP C Q DK
MY FOURTH IPT: OPERATION WATCHMAN: SPEAKING NOTES
1. D: CHINA (ACTION DATE 13 JUNE).
114574
MDLIAN 3528
2. (I)
INTRODUCTORY POINTS:
(A) AS IN THIRD IPT
(B) AS IN THIRD IPT
(C) AS IN THIRD IPT
(D) HONG KONG SMALL AND OVERCROWDED. CHINESE WELL AWARE OF
MOUNTING LOCAL CONCERN AND SEVERE PRACTICAL PROBLEMS.
DIFFICULTIES EXACERBATED BY COMPARISON OF TREATMENT OF VIETNAMESE ARRIVALS WITH THAT OF CHINESE ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS.
(E) IN IN THIRD IPT
(II) NEW POLICY:
(A) AS IN THIRD IPT
(B) AS IN THIRD IPT
(III) REQUESTS:
GRATEFUL FOR
(A) CHINESE AUTHORITIES' COOPERATION IN ENSURING THAT ALL VIETNAMESE BOAT PEOPLE ARE TOLD CLEARLY, IF THEY LAND IN CHINA, THAT THEY SHOULD NOT ATTEMPT TO GO ON TO HONG KONG, WHERE THEY WILL BE TREATED ON ARRIVAL AS ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS AND HAVE NO
CHANCE OF RESETTLEMENT. GRATEFUL IF THEY COULD BE ENCOURAGED TO
RETURN TO VIETNAM AND NOT ASSISTED IN TRYING TO GO ILLEGALLY TO
HONG KONG,
BACKGROUND
THE ROUTES TAKEN BY THE BOAT PEOPLE TO REACH HONG KONG INVOLVE
COAST-HOPPING ALONG THE COAST OF CHINA. EVIDENCE OF WIDESPREAD ASSISTANCE TO BOAT PEOPLE BY OFFICIALS AND CITIZENS IN CHINESE
COASTAL PORTS: OUT OF 200 BOATS WHICH HAVE ARRIVED IN THE FIRST FIVE MONTHS OF THIS YEAR, 169 APPEAR CON THE BASIS OF OCCUPANTS' DEBRIEFING) TO HAVE RECEIVED ASSISTANCE RANGING FROM SHELTER, AND WATER TO NEW ENGINES AND EVEN NEW BOATS, ALL PURCHASED GOLD: PORTS OF BEIHAI AND ZHANJIANG PARTICULARLY FAVOURED:
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