TNAG-1803-FCO40-2563-Hong-Kong-Vietnamese-refugees-talks-between-the-UK--Hong-Kon-1988 — Page 171

CONFIDENTIAL

CONFIDENTIAL

FM HONG KONG

TO DESKBY 10080OZ FCO

TELNO 3754

OF 08050OZ OCTOBER 88

INFO IMMEDIATE PEKING, HANOI, UKMIS GENEVA

HKD 2+3/15 (72,

938

TOP

001113

MDHIAN 6870

YRTELNO 2618: VIETNAMESE BOAT PEOPLE IN HONG KONG:

PREPARATION FOR FORTHCOMING TALKS

1. WHEN THE VIETNAMESE REFERRED TO REGIONAL BROADCASTS, THE CLEAR IMPLICATION WAS THAT THEY WERE REFERRING TO THE CHINESE.

WE UNDERSTAND AT LEAST UNTIL RECENTLY THAT THE CHINESE PUBLIC SECURITY BUREAU HAVE BEEN INTERVIEWING ARRIVALS AT BEI HAI AND THAT PEKING RADIO WERE BROADCASTING THE INTERVIEWS BACK TO VIETNAM. THE BROADCASTS WERE HIGHLY CRITICAL OF THE VIETNAMESE REGIME.

2. IN JULY WE ASKED THE NCNA LOCALLY TO APPROACH RADIO PEKING TO HELP TO BROADCAST DETAILS OF HONG KONG'S NEW POLICY AND TO EMPHASISE THAT WHILE THINGS MAY BE GRIM IN VIETNAM, GETTING INTO BOATS AND HEADING FOR HONG KONG WAS NO WAY OUT.

3. IN MID-AUGUST NCNA RESPONDED POSITIVELY TO OUR APPROACH AND ACCEPTED FROM US A RECORDING OF THE HONG KONG GOVERNMENT MESSAGE ON THE NEW POLICY. WE HOPE BUT CANNOT CONFIRM THAT THE RECORDING WAS PASSED TO RADIO PEKING. NOR DO WE KNOW WHETHER THE CRITICAL BROADCASTS HAVE IN FACT CEASED.

WILSON

YYYY

ΜΑΙΝ

30

LIMITED

HKD

SEAD

ANNN

DISTRIBUTION

30

FED

MR MCLAREN

PAGE

1

CONFIDENTIAL