TNAG-2065-FCO40-2943-Vietnamese-boat-people-and-China-1990 — Page 78

3.

CONFIDENTIAL

local authorities",

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The Chinese refused to be

drawn on what checks were made on those

entering.

iii)

Repatriation

Those repatriated both land crossers and stranded coast hoppers were driven under guard by bus to one of the border trading places. There they were released and told to return to

Vietnam. They were not handed over to the Vietnamese at the official border crossing at Friendship Gate since, if the Chinese did so, the VBPS would be punished.

The return is mandatory although they claim no force is necessary (however, a Zhanjiang marine police official informed us that Vietnamese who

put up resistance were trussed-up before being put on the buses). The Beihai Deputy Mayor told us that in the last three months of last

year, 301 Vietnamese land travellers and those

whose boats had broken down, were returned from

Bethai in 9 bus-loads. Zhanjiang marine police

told us that last year 545 people were repatriated by their station alone. This broke down into 315 people who were "stranded" and

230 people whose boats had sunk. Over 1,000 people were repatriated from the whole of

Zhangiang. However, in Fang Cheng Vietnamese apprehended were merely persuaded" to return

to Vietnam. They were not arrested and not

repatriated. Additionally, the Deputy Director

of the Foreign Affairs Office admitted that

only those whose boats were irreparible were

repatriated. Those who had run out of fuel and money were still being replenished "with a view

to persuading them to return to Vietnam".

CONFIDENTIAL #2

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