TNAG-1968-FCO40-2801-Hong-Kong-illegal-immigrants-from-China--originally-Vietname-1989 — Page 57

CONFIDENTIAL

CONFIDENTIAL

FM HONG KONG

TO PRIORITY FCO

TELNO 036

OF 04113OZ JANUARY 89

INFO PRIORITY PEKING

MKD 243/5

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130745 MDLIAN 5696

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EX-CHINA VIETNAMESE ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS (ECVIIS)

1. ON 30 DECEMBER DEPUTY POLITICAL ADVISER CALLED IN NCNA TO REPEAT

OUR REQUEST FOR A SWIFT RESPONSE ON THE REPATRIATION OF ECVIIS. THERE ARE NOW A TOTAL OF 942, OF WHOM 692 ARRIVED IN DECEMBER 1988. WE ARE HAVING DIFFICULTY ACCOMMODATING THEM AND HAVE HAD TO USE

FERRIES WHICH ARE UNSANITARY, CRAMPED AND COLD. WE ARE PREPARING THE OLD POLICE STATION IN HUNG HOM AS A POSSIBLE CENTRE IN WHICH TO

HOLD ECVIIS. THIS HAS PRODUCED SOME VOCIFEROUS COMPLAINTS FROM SOME

LOCAL INHABITANTS AND THE DISTRICT BOARD.

2.

-

DPA HANDED OVER TO NCNA DETAILS OF 692 RECENT ARRIVALS. 526 OF

THESE COME FROM ONE FARM IN GUANGXI LI GUANG HUA QIAO FARM. HE

EMPHASISED THAT NONE OF THE ARRIVALS CLAIMED TO BE ANYTHING OTHER THAN ECVIIS. WE HOPED THEREFORE THAT LENGTHY VERIFICATION

PROCEDURES WOULD NOT BE NECESSARY. THE ONLY WAY TO SCOTCH THE

MISTAKEN RUMOURS ABOUT OPPORTUNITIES FOR RESETTLEMENT AND/OR WORK

IN HONG KONG WAS TO REPATRIATE SWIFTLY AT LEAST SOME OF THOSE WHO

ARRIVED IN NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 1988. HE POINTED OUT THAT SOME OF

THE ARRIVALS, ON DISCOVERING THEY WERE MISTAKEN ABOUT THE SITUATION IN HONG KONG, HAD ASKED TO GO BACK SOONER RATHER THAN LATER.

3.

DPA SAID THAT THE HKG DID NOT MIND HOW THE ECVIIS WERE REPATRIATED. WE WOULD BE HAPPY TO SEND THEM BACK FARM BY FARM IF

THIS WAS MORE CONVENIENT FOR THE CHINESE AUTHORITIES. IF THERE WERE PRACTICAL DIFFICULTIES EG. WITH TRANSPORT ARRANGEMENTS, THE HKG WOULD BE WILLING TO CONSIDER WAYS IN WHICH WE MIGHT ASSIST. HE

HANDED OVER DETAILS OF 44 OF THE RECENT ARRIVALS WHO HAD COME TO HONG KONG FOR THE SECOND OR THIRD TIME. THE DETAILS INCLUDED DATES OF PREVIOUS REPATRIATIONS. AS THESE PEOPLE HAD ALREADY BEEN THROUGH

THE VERIFICATION PROCESS AT LEAST ONCE, HE SUGGESTED THAT WE MIGHT BEGIN BY RETURNING THEM IMMEDIATELY.

4.

IN JI SHAOXIANG'S ABSENCE HIS DEPUTY, SZETO KEUNG, ATTENDED. HE HAD NOT HIMSELF DEALT WITH THE MATTER BEFORE BUT WAS AWARE OF OUR EARLIER APPROACHES. HE TOOK NOTE OF THE URGENCY OF THE REQUEST AND

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CONFIDENTIAL