China: Transcript of a 4 January 2000 Central China TV news magazine "Focal Point" item on illegal immigration which features interviews with: Fujian Public Security officials; Fujian Frontier Defence Marine Police officials; Korean smuggling suspects; Fujian villagers; Dahong village Party secretary, Fujian; Deputy Director General, Frontier Management Bureau, Ministry of Public Security

Attached is a transcript of Central China TV news magazine "Focal Point" item on illegal immigration. According to correspondence from the Canadian embassy in Beijing, "Focal Point" "is regularly watched by Chinese Premier Zhu Rongji and other senior leaders" and "is one of the most popular TV programs in China." The translation was provided by the Political Section of the Canadian Embassy in Beijing.

Focal Point (January 4, 2000)

Anchorman (A): Zhai Shujie

A: Hello, dear audience. Welcome to today's Focal Point. In the first half of 1999, a few people from coastal regions were cheated by some lawbreakers and migrated abroad illegally. Illegal migration has had a bad influence outside China. As far as illegal migrants are concerned, they also suffered all kinds of hardships. The Public Security and Frontier Defence sectors in China have severely cracked down on this phenomenon and are in control of the negative situation.

Journalist (J): Arranged by organizers inside and outside China, more than 90 illegal migrants planned to depart Ningde county of Fujian Province by ship to steal into other countries in the night of May 25, 1999. 27 of them were arrested by our frontier sector en route and the other 70 fled into open seas by fishing ship Minlianyun 1288. The Fuzhou Public Security and Frontier Defence Troop sent a patrol to intercept it as soon as it received this information.

Weng Wufan (Weng) (Director, First Detachment, Public Security and Frontier Defence Marine Police of Fujian Province): The blue symbol represents the smuggling ship, and the red one represents our patrol. Those are the Mazu Islands, which are still occupied by the Taiwan authorities.

J: Why does it choose such a route?

Weng: According to the information we received at that time, a foreign ship was waiting near the Xiyin Reef, which is located to the south of Xiyin Island. The smuggling ship had planned to send the illegal immigrants there. This area is sheltered and not easily found by the Chinese police.

Deng Yuming (Deng) (Director, First Unit, Public Security and Frontier Defence Marine Police of Fujian Province): The weather was terrible at that time, which made our action more difficult. It was raining, blowing and thundering.

Ye Changhe (Ye) (Coxswain, First Unit, Public Security and Frontier Defence Marine Police of Fujian Province): The smugglers also chose a complicated area, which is full of reefs, fishing ships and fishing nets.

Deng: The crafty smugglers used a small ship, slipping away along the bank in front of our eyes.

J: After it has slipped away, the smuggling ship went into the Yangyu area, and mixed itself into a group of fishing ships.

Weng: We discovered a suspicious fishing ship leaving the fishing area for the northeast at around 3:50. The command centre ordered the patrol to follow it.

J: After the patrol had caught up with the smuggling ship, police arrested 70 illegal immigrants and snake-heads. In the meantime, some South Korean snake-heads were also arrested in the inland region. The journalist met with those foreign suspects in a police station in Fujian.

J: Where does the smuggling ship come from?

Pu Zhenyu (Suspect, South Korean): It was a South Korean ship named "Hailong", departing from the port of Pusan.

J: Illegal immigration is a global phenomenon caused by complicated economic, social roots and international background. These are also the reason for the resurgence of the illegal immigration activities along the coastal region in the first half of 1999.

Wu Jiansen (Director-General, Public Security and Frontier Defence Troop): The snake-heads took advantage of people's desire to go abroad, spreading rumours such as "a lot of workers will be needed in Sydney because of the Olympic Games" and "during the election period illegal immigrants will be given amnesty by the US government". In addition, the definition of "illegal immigrants" is not clear in some countries. Thus, some people were cheated and boarded smuggling ships.

J: Believing those rumours, some people pursued their dream of getting rich but found first of all very bad conditions at sea. Some of them cannot forget the terrible experience of this sea voyage.

Shi Kui (Villager, Dahong village, Changle City): They said the salary there was about RMB20,000 to RMB30,000. You do not have to work so hard as in China. After several years, you can come back as a millionaire.

Shi Jiancheng (Villager, Dahong village, Changle City): I'd like to have a look. They said that there is a lot of gold in the US.

J: They said that the US is covered with gold.

Shi Jiancheng: That's right.

J: And you want to make a fortune there.

Shi Jiancheng: Yes.

J: As a matter of fact, to all the illegal immigrants, making their fortune is only an empty dream. Those who did make a fortune were those snake‑heads. A huge amount of money coming from illegal immigrants went into their wallets.

Wu Jiansen: Since the cost of the smuggling of human beings is very low, snake-heads made a big profit. They admitted that they could earn at least US$15,000 to US$20,000 on every immigrant. That means if they took 100 illegal immigrants they could earn US$ 1 million to 1.5 million, that is, more than RMB10 million. The profit is really high.

J: Smuggling ships also made a big fortune. The master of the South Korean ship "Hailong" admitted that he was lured by the huge amount of money.

J: How much did they spend in hiring your ship?

Tian Zonggen (Suspect, South Korean): US$600,000, if the journey was successful.

J: Although the masters of the smuggling ships got a lot of money, basic living conditions, even the security of the lives of illegal immigrants, cannot be maintained on the ships.

Wu Jiansen: They did not care about the security of those immigrants. Even the basic living conditions cannot be maintained. There was no water or food on the ships at all.

J: This kind of smuggling ships is no different from ships of death. Shi Jiancheng, villager of Dahong village, Tantou town, Changle city, has contracted more than 80 mu of land and fishing ponds. He is enjoying a good life with an income of more than 10,000 per year. He feels terrible whenever he thinks about the life on the smuggling ship.

Shi Jiancheng: There were nothing on the ship. We had more than 500 people. We could only get a bowl of thin gruel in two days.

J: Was there enough food and drinking water?

Shi Jiancheng: There was no drinking water at all. We would have starved to death if we had travelled longer. There were so many people but so little food. Our urine was used to cook.

J: Could you go out of the berth during the trip?

Shi Jiancheng: No, we could not. There was only a small hole. If you went out, they would beat you to death and throw your body into the sea.

J: Shi Kui, a villager from the same village with Shi Jiancheng, boarded a smuggling ship at the age of 18. After 50 days of travel on the sea, he became so skinny that he survived by sheer luck.

Shi Kui: They sent down 4 buckets of rice every two days, which were shared by over 200 people. The buckets they used were the medium-sized home-used buckets. In such an atmosphere, even brothers would fight for a packet of pickled mustard tuber.

J: Some illegal immigrants starved to death on the ships. Some of them were beaten to death as soon as they revolted. Even if some lucky ones finally arrived at the destination, they could do nothing but hide here and there.

Three illegal immigrants from Dahong village could not bear the mental pressure and went mad.

Shi Zuzhi (Party secretary, Dahong village): For two years they had no jobs, because nobody would hire them. They became beggars in the US. Sometimes overseas Chinese from our village gave them some money so that they could maintain a basic life. In 1998, overseas Chinese there gathered some money through donation and sent it back home.

J: Illegal immigration endangers the social order. In the meantime, it seriously damages China's global image.

Guo Xiqin (Deputy Director General, Frontier Management Bureau, Ministry of Public Security): Illegal immigration is against the law. Article 318 to Article 322 of the Criminal Law clearly point out the punishment. China has been always opposing illegal immigration. The Central Party and the State Council attach great importance to this issue and have instructed the Public Security and Frontier Defence sectors to struggle against it so as to prevent the overflow of large-scale illegal immigration activities.

J: From January, 1999 to October, 1999, 324 illegal immigration cases were discovered in China. 704 snake-heads and 56 smuggling ships were captured. The Public Security sectors in Fujian have punished the snake‑heads strictly in accordance with the new Criminal Law.

Wu Jiansen: All together we have captured 568 snake heads, 68 of whom have been sentenced and over 200 are currently being prosecuted.

J: Illegal immigration in Changle City, Fujian Province used to be serious. After the prevention and crack down measures were strengthened, this kind of activity has never happened in this city again. Citizens and vehicles of this city have never participated in illegal immigration activities again.

J: How about the result of the crack-down battle?

Ding Lei (President, People's Court of Changle City): From our point of view, both legal effect and social effect are very good. 10 out of the 108 who have been sentenced appealed to higher court. And only 1 out of the 10 refuses to acknowledge his criminal behaviour. All the others acknowledged their crimes and accepted the punishment.

J: The journalist met with several illegal immigrants at the Police Station of Changle City. They regretted their behaviours.

Illegal Immigrant 1: I will never think about going abroad after I return home. It's terrible.

J: What punishment do you get?

Illegal Immigrant 1: 1 year imprisonment.

J: How long will you stay in prison?

Illegal Immigrant 2: Three months with a fine of RMB20,000.

Illegal Immigrant 3: I'm scared. It is against the law.

Guo Xiqin: The Party and the Government are still paying great attention to this issue this year, and relevant sectors are still fighting against illegal immigration. What's more, we are strengthening international cooperation. We have cooperation systems with neighbouring countries and some key countries. Our cooperation in repatriation and supervision are efficient. Large scale illegal immigration activities can be prevented.

A: Illegal immigration is an activity which is seriously against the law. It damages not only the dignity of a person but also the dignity of a country. According to international practice, even if the activity succeeds, all illegal immigrants should be repatriated by relevant countries. Thus, on the one hand, we should strengthen our struggle against snake heads; on the other hand, we should also try to persuade those who look on foreign countries as heaven to cast away illusions and seek a happy life through their own efforts.

This Response is not, and does not purport to be, conclusive as to the merit of any particular claim to refugee status or asylum.

China Central TV [Beijing, in Chinese]. 4 January 2000. "Focal Point." (Translation prepared by Political Section, Canadian Embassy, Beijing)