TNAG-1794-FCO40-2554-Hong-Kong-Vietnamese-refugees-repatriation--including-Opera-1988 — Page 153

Ain

CONFIDENTIAL

FM HONG KONG

TO PRIORITY FCO

TELNO 2592

CONFIDENTIAL

OF 06113OZ JULY 88

INFO PRIORITY PEKING, WASHINGTON, HANOI

(442)

462

HKD 243/8

RECEIVED

- 7 JUL 1988

ር ር

P^.

030025

MDLIAN 0674

45

YOUR TELNO 1759, PEKING TELNO 1175 AND YOUR TELNO 63 TO PEKING: VIETNAMESE BOAT PEOPLE: COAST HOPPING TO SOUTH CHINA

1. THE POLITICAL ADVISER SPOKE TO JI SHAOXIANG OF NCNA ON 5 JULY.

HE REFERRED TO THE RECENT MINISTERIAL EXCHANGES, PARTICULARLY THAT BETWEEN LORD GLENARTHUR AND QIAN QICHEN. HE BRIEFED JI ON THE

LATEST SITUATION ON ARRIVALS AND ON THE POSITION AS REGARDS

COAST-HOPPING AS IT HAD EMERGED FROM DE-BRIEFINGS. HE STRESSED THE

KEY IMPORTANCE OF GETTING THE MESSAGE ABOUT HONG KONG'S CHANGED

POLICY THROUGH TO BOAT PEOPLE AT THE EARLIEST POSSIBLE MOMENT AND

A SKED FOR THIS TO BE SPELT OUT CLEARLY BY THE LOCAL CHINESE

AUTHORITIES.

2. CLIFT GAVE JI COPIES OF THE MESSAGE GIVEN TO ARRIVALS IN HONG

KONG AND THE ENCLOSURE WHICH IS SENT IN LETTERS FROM BOAT PEOPLE HERE TO RELATIVES IN VIETNAM. HE TOLD JI THAT, DESPITE EVIDENCE OF A CHANGE IN SOME PLACES IT APPEARED THAT ASSISTANCE WAS STILL

BEING GIVEN TO PEOPLE ARRIVING IN CHINESE PORTS. HE ASKED THAT SUCH

ASSISTANCE SHOULD BE KEPT TO THE MINIMUM (COMMENSURATE WITH

HUMANITARIAN PURPOSES). WE ALSO HOPED, THOUGH IT WAS TOO EARLY TO BE SURE, THAT TWO PRACTICES WERE CEASING:

(A) THE EMBARKATION IN CHINESE PORTS ON VIETNAMESE BOATS OF

BOAT PEOPLE WHO HAD ARRIVED EARLIER BUT WHOSE BOATS HAD BEEN WRECKED.

(B) THE ISSUE OF LETTERS OF RECOMMENDATION TO BOAT MASTERS

ADDRESSED TO THE AUTHORITIES AT THE NEXT PORT TO THE EAST I.E.

IN THE DIRECTION OF HONG KONG.

3. JI UNDERTOOK TO PASS ON THE MESSAGE. HE CONFIRMED THAT THE

CHINESE AUTHORITIES TOOK THE PROBLEM SERIOUSLY AND WISHED OUR

CHANGE OF POLICY SUCCESS. HE SAID THAT NEVERTHELESS IT WAS VERY

DIFFICULT TO DISCOURAGE BOAT PEOPLE FROM COMING. UNTIL THEY SAW

THAT OTHERS WERE ACTUALLY BEING REPATRIATED THEY WOULD NOT BELIEVE

THAT THE CHANGE MEANT MUCH. HE ALSO SAID IT WAS DIFFICULT FOR

1

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