CONFIDENTIAL
FM HONG KONG
CONFIDENTIAL
TOP COPY O DIST ?
574
114624
MDLIAN 5759
нко 24318
RECEIVE
TO PRIORITY FCO
TELNO 2868
OF 28090OZ JULY 88
INFO PRIORITY PEKING, HANOI
ING
Y
2 JUL 1988
VIETNAMESE BOAT PEOPLE
THIS MONTH 5154 VIETNAMESE BOAT PEOPLE HAVE ARRIVED IN HONG KONG, 1494 IN THE LAST WEEK ALONE. IF THIS RATE CONTINUES, PROBLEMS OF ACCOMMODATION AND MANPOWER, ALREADY SERIOUS, WILL BECOME CRITICAL
DURING AUGUST.
2. IT IS THEREFORE INCREASINGLY IMPORTANT THAT EVERY EFFORT SHOULD
BE MADE TO STOP THIS INFLUX. OUR NEW POLICY HAS SO FAR HAD NO
APPARENT EFFECT DESPITE OUR EFFORTS TO GET THE MESSAGE ACROSS BOTH HERE AND IN VIETNAM. INFORMATION OBTAINED FROM INTERVIEWING 4592
BOAT PEOPLE BETWEEN 16 JUNE AND 24 JULY SHOWS THAT ONLY 104 HAD ANY KNOWLEDGE OF THE NEW POLICY BEFORE ARRIVAL, OF WHOM 22 HEARD IT
BEFORE DEPARTURE. IT IS POSSIBLE THAT UNTIL THE REPATRIATION OF VIETNAMESE ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS ACTUALLY STARTS THE REALITY OF HONG
KONG'S POLICY WILL NOT BE ACCEPTED BY BOAT PEOPLE. THE URGENCY OF REPATRIATION WILL CERTAINLY BE ONE OF OUR OBJECTIVES IN HANOI, AS
WILL EARLY ACTION BY THE VIETNAMESE AUTHORITIES TO CONTROL THE
OUTFLOW.
3. MEANWHILE COAST-HOPPING BY MEANS OF CHINESE PORTS AND MACAU IS THE NORMAL MODE OF TRAVEL FOR BOAT PEOPLE. RECENT EXAMPLES ARE:
(A) THE CASE OF A BOATLOAD OF 15 VIETNAMESE WHO LEFT HAIPHONG
IN MARCH AND WHOSE BOAT WAS EITHER WRECKED OR BECAME
UNSEAWORTHY. THEY WERE PERMITTED TO STAY FOR 20 DAYS AT BEI HAI OBTAINING FOOD AND SHELTER FROM LOCAL PEOPLE IN RETURN FOR
PAYMENT (GOLD). THEY WERE THEN ASSIGNED (IT IS NOT CLEAR BY WHOM) TO ANOTHER BOAT WHICH LEFT BEI HAI IN MAY AND CAME TO HONG KONG:
(B) ANOTHER BOAT WHICH LEFT VIETNAM IN EARLY JULY AND RECEIVED
FROM THE BEI HAI AUTHORITIES AN INTRODUCTORY LETTER TO
FACILITATE THEIR SUBSEQUENT STOP-OVERS AT OTHER CHINESE PORTS:
(C) SEVERAL CASES IN JULY WHEN CHINESE OFFICIALS INVITED BOAT
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CONFIDENTIAL
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