TNAG-1799-FCO40-2559-Hong-Kong-Vietnamese-refugees-ex-China-Vietnamese-illegal-im-1988 — Page 13

CONFIDENTIAL

FM HONG KONG

TO PRIORITY FCO

TELNO 4602

OF 1610OOZ DECEMBER 88

INFO PRIORITY PEKING

(65)

CONFIDENTIAL

MKA 243/9

66

073100 MDLIAN 2555

ones

OPY 7

PEKING TELNO 2007: VIETNAMESE BOAT PEOPLE IN HONG KONG : EVCIIS

1.

PA SPOKE TO NCNA (LI RUOHE) ON 13 DECEMBER STRESSING OUR CONCERN THAT THE SITUATION MIGHT GET CONSIDERABLY WORSE. SWIFT ACTION WAS REQUIRED. THE REQUESTED THAT VERIFIED CASES (101) AND RECENT ARRIVALS (473 ON 13 DECEMBER) BE REPATRIATED AS SOON AS POSSIBLE, PREFERABLY FOR THE LATTER, WITHOUT HAVING TO GO THROUGH THE LENGTHY VERIFICATION PROCEDURES.

2.

NCNA EXPRESSED UNDERSTANDING OF OUR ANXIETY. THE PROBLEM COULD BECOME BOTH EXPENSIVE AND DIFFICULT TO RESOLVE FOR BOTH SIDES. LI TELEPHONED LATER TO SAY THAT HE WAS TAKING URGENT ACTION BUT THAT INTERNAL CO-ORDINATION WITH THE AUTHORITIES IN GUANGXI WAS REQUIRED.

3. ECVIIS ARE NOW ARRIVING AT THE RATE OF 39 A DAY. RECENT ARRIVALS TOTAL 635. WE HAVE RUN OUT OF SPACE FOR THEM AT KAI TAK AND VICTORIA DETENTION CENTRE, AND ARE HOUSING THEM ON FERRIES. THESE ARE CROWDED, UNCONFORTABLE, LACKING IN AMENITIES AND EXPOSED TO THE COLD.

4. GRATEFUL IF YOU COULD INSTRUCT PEKING TO SPEAK TO THE CHINESE

AGAIN ALONG THE FOLLOWING LINES:

(I)

WE ARE GRATEFUL FOR YOUR UNDERSTANDING AND HELPFUL

RESPONSE:

(II) HKG SPOKE TO NCNA AND REQUESTED URGENT ACTION ON 13 DECEMBER. SINCE THEN THE SITUATION HAS CONTINUED TO WORSEN. ECVIIS NOW HAVING TO BE HOUSED ON FERRIES, WHICH ARE CROWDED, UNCOMFORTABLE, AND COLD. THE BEST WAY TO PREVENT MORE ARRIVING IN HONG KONG IS TO REPATRIATE RECENT ARRIVALS AS SOON AS POSSIBLE. THE VAST MAJORITY OF THOSE ARRIVING COME FROM

GUANGXI:

(III)

GRATEFUL IF THE GUANGXI AUTHORITIES COULD BE URGED TO CO-OPERATE WITH THE HONG KONG GOVERNMENT IN REPATRIATION THE

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CONFIDENTIAL