CONFIDENTIAL
MKD 243/9
CONFIDENTIAL
FM HONG KONG
TO DESKBY 12123OZ FCO
TELNO 4536.
OF 12105OZ DECEMBER 88
INFO IMMEDIATE PEKING
INFO PRIORITY UKMIS GENEVA
59
бе
TOP COPY
n
(6
056240 MDHIAN 5274
MYTELNO 4523 AND YRTELNO 3191:
VIETNAMESE BOAT PEOPLE IN HONG KONG: ECVIIS
ARRIVALS DURING DECEMBER OF VIETNAMESE REFUGEES SETTLED IN CHINA NOW
TOTAL 255. WE SUGGEST THE FOLLOWING SPEAKING NOTE FOR USE IN PEKING:
BEGINS
1. THE HONG KONG GOVERNMENT IS CONCERNED THAT RUMOURS ARE AGAIN CIRCULATING AMONG THE RESETTLED VIETNAMESE COMMUNITIES IN CHINA WHICH MIGHT LEAD TO ANOTHER MAJOR INFLUX OF ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS.
2. ON 20 OCTOBER 17 VIETNAMESE RESETTLED IN CHINA ARRIVED IN HONG
KONG. THEY TOLD IMMIGRATION OFFICIALS THAT THEY HAD TRAVELLED TO HONG KONG IN THE HOPE OF JOINING VIETNAMESE REFUGEES HERE WHO THEY UNDERSTOOD WERE TO BENEFIT FROM THE LIBERALISATION OF THE CLOSED REFUGEE CAMPS. SOME HAD ALSO HEARD THAT OVERSEAS RESETTLEMENT FROM
HONG KONG MIGHT ALSO BE POSSIBLE.
3. SINCE THEN THERE HAVE BEEN A TOTAL OF 333 SUCH ARRIVALS (UP TO
12 DECEMBER). THE PATTERN OF ARRIVALS HAS BEEN:
SEPTEMBER 3
OCTOBER 19
NOVEMBER 61
DECEMBER (UP TO 12 DECEMBER) 255.
4. THE MAJORITY OF THE 255 ARRIVALS DURING DECEMBER HAVE COME FROM
THE LIGUANG HUA QIAO FARM IN GUANGXI. THEY HAVE REPORTED THAT RUMOURS
ABOUT LIBERALISATION AND RESETTLEMENT ARE WIDESPREAD AMONG THE RESETTLED VIETNAMESE COMMUNITIES. THEY CLAIM (IMPLAUSIBLE AS IT MAY SEEM) THAT THE MAIN SOURCE OF THE RUMOUR IS LETTERS FROM HONG KONG WHICH HAVE APPEARED IN CHINESE NEWSPAPERS SUCH AS GUANGXI RI BAO AND
REMIN RI BAO.
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