CONFIDENTIAL
FM HONG KONG
TO DESKBY 10120OZ FCO
TELNO 1489
OF 10112OZ MAY 89
INFO DESKBY 11010OZ PEKING
CONFIDENTIAL
MED 243/22
RECS
E
10 MAY 1989
58
054447 MDHIAN 4066
MIPT: VIETNAMESE BOAT PEOPLE : MESSAGE TO GOVERNOR OF GUANGDONG
I RECALL WITH GREAT PLEASURE MY VISIT TO GUANGDONG IN NOVEMBER 1987. I LOOK FORWARD TO HAVING THE OPPORTUNITY SOON OF RECEIVING YOUR EXCELLENCY IN HONG KONG AND RETURNING YOUR KIND HOSPITALITY.
WHEN WE MET WE AGREED ON THE IMPORTANCE OF COOPERATION BETWEEN GUANGDONG AND HONG KONG. IT IS IN THAT SPIRIT THAT I AM WRITING TO YOU PERSONALLY TO ASK FOR YOUR ASSISTANCE OVER THE GROWING PROBLEM OF PEOPLE COMING FROM VIETNAM TO HONG KONG. YOU WILL I KNOW BE AWARE THAT THE SITUATION HERE IS BECOMING CRITICAL. SO FAR THIS YEAR OVER 7,000 VIETNAMESE BOAT PEOPLE HAVE ARRIVED BRINGING THE TOTAL POPULATION OF VIETNAMESE IN HONG KONG TO OVER 32,000. CURRENTLY THEY ARE ARRIVING AT A RATE OF OVER 300 PER DAY. OUR FACILITIES FOR ACCOMMODATING NEW ARRIVALS ARE ALREADY FULL AND WE ARE RUNNING OUT OF EVEN EMERGENCY ACCOMMODATION.
I KNOW THAT THE CHINESE CENTRAL GOVERNMENT ARE AS CONCERNED ABOUT THIS AS WE ARE. WE APPRECIATE THEIR SUPPORT, NOTABLY IN THE PREPARATIONS FOR THE INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE ON INDO-CHINESE REFUGEES WHICH IS TO TAKE PLACE IN GENEVA IN JUNE. THERE IS HOWEVER A FURTHER AREA ON WHICH WE LOOK FOR CHINA'S PARTICULAR HELP. NEARLY ALL THE VIETNAMESE ARRIVING IN HONG KONG ARE TRAVELLING VIA GUANGXI OR HAINAN AND GUANGDONG PROVINCES. THEY COME MAINLY IN BOATS, ALTHOUGH ACCORDING TO OUR RECENT INFORMATION A NUMBER OF THEM TRAVEL OVER LAND WITHIN CHINA FOR CONSIDERABLE DISTANCES BEFORE TAKING BOATS ON TO HONG KONG, OFTEN FROM POINTS IN GUANGDONG PROVINCE QUITE CLOSE TO THIS TERRITORY. SOME OF THESE PEOPLE SPEND A CONSIDERABLE TIME IN CHINA ON THEIR WAY HERE. VIRTUALLY ALL OF THEM RECEIVE SOME KIND OF MATERIAL ASSISTANCE WITHOUT WHICH THEIR JOURNEYS TO HONG KONG WOULD BE MUCH MORE DIFFICULT.
WE ARE OF COURSE IN CLOSE TOUCH ON THIS MATTER WITH OUR FRIENDS IN THE NEW CHINA NEWS AGENCY IN HONG KONG. THE BRITISH EMBASSY IN PEKING HAS ALSO RAISED THE MATTER ON MANY OCCASIONS WITH THE MINISTRY OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS. RECENTLY THE FOREIGN AND COMMONWEALTH SECRETARY
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