RESTRICTED
FM HONG KONG
TO IMMEDIATE FCO
TELNO 1122
OF 100523Z JULY 93
INFO IMMEDIATE PEKING
INFO PRIORITY HANOI
INFO ROUTINE UKMIS GENEVA
RESTRICTED
34111
RECEIVED IN REGISTRY
13 JUL 1993
DESK O
REGISTRY
INDEX
PA
Action Taken
33
047540
MDHIAN 8391
EX CHINA VIETNAMESE ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS (ECVIIS)
SUMMARY
1.
NEW AND WORRYING SURGE IN ECVIIS ARRIVING IN HONG KONG. WE HAVE ASKED THROUGH NCNA FOR URGENT CHINESE AGREEMENT TO ACCEPT BACK THOSE REACHING HONG KONG, AS THE ONLY EFFECTIVE DETERRENT TO THOSE WHO MAY FOLLOW. PARALLEL ACTION IN PEKING MIGHT HELP TO SECURE EARLY CHINESE DECISIONS.
DETAIL
2. AFTER A LONG GAP SINCE THE LAST SIGNIFICANT ARRIVALS OF ECVIIS, A NEW SURGE HAS DEVELOPED OVER THE LAST FORTNIGHT. SINCE 25 JUNE 8 BOATS HAVE ARRIVED CARRYING A TOTAL OF 265 PEOPLE. ALL ARE ETHNIC CHINESE WHO HAVE BEEN LIVING IN BEIHAI, GUANGXI. THEY HAVE COME TO HONG KONG BECAUSE THE GUANGXI AUTHORITIES HAVE, ACCORDING TO THEIR ACCOUNTS, RECENTLY DEMOLISHED THE HOMES THEY HAD BUILT. ESTIMATES VARY OF THE SCALE OF THIS DEMOLITION PROGRAMME. BUT SOME OF THOSE ARRIVING HAVE CLAIMED THAT UP TO 40,000 PEOPLE MAY NOW BE HOMELESS AS A RESULT.
3.
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IF THESE ESTIMATES ARE AT ALL CREDIBLE, THE CURRENT INFLUX COULD WELL INTENSIFY QUICKLY. THIS WOULD CAUSE US SERIOUS NEW PROBLEMS: FOR EXAMPLE OVER ACCOMMODATION. (ECVIIS HAVE TO BE HELD SEPARATELY FROM OTHER VIETNAMESE MIGRANTS, AND WE HAVE LITTLE SPARE CAPACITY FOR THEM.) WE HAVE EXPERIENCED SIMILAR SURGES IN THE PAST, FOR EXAMPLE IN 1987 COVER 7,000 ARRIVALS), AND ON A SMALLER SCALE IN 1988 (OVER 700 ARRIVALS). IN EACH CASE, THE ARRIVAL RATE ONLY FELL OFF WHEN THE CHINESE BEGAN TO TAKE BACK THOSE WHO HAD REACHED HONG KONG.
4. DEPUTY POLITICAL ADVISER GAVE DETAILS OF THE LATEST SURGE ON 9 JULY TO DEPUTY DIRECTOR OF NCNA FOREIGN AFFAIRS DEPARTMENT. HE HANDED OVER A SPEAKING NOTE (TEXT FOLLOWS BY FAX TO HKD/FCO AND PEKING) TOGETHER WITH THE NAMES AND PHOTOGRAPHS OF THE NEW
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