(184)
CONFIDENTIAL
FM TOKYO 15090OZ NOV
TO IMMEDIATE HONG KONG
TELNO 110 OF 15 NOV 83
INFO FCO
CONFIDENTIAL
PA
186
YOUR TELEGRAM NO 88: VIETNAMESE REFUGESS IN HONG KONG.
1. SINCE THE DIRECTOR GENERAL OF THE ASIAN AFFAIRS
BUREAU WAS UNAVAILABLE WHITEHEAD SPOKE THIS AFTERNOON
TO ONDA, DEPUTY DIRECTOR GENERAL IN THE BUREAU. MASUI,
HEAD OF THE DIVISION FOR REFUGEE AFFAIRS WAS PRESENT
FOR PART OF THE DISCUSSION.
2. WHITEHEAD DREW HEAVILY ON YOUR TELEGRAM NO 1626
TO THE FCO AND URGED THAT THE JAPANESE GOVERNMENT SHOULD
TAKE THE OPPORTUNITY OF AN INCREASE IN ITS REFUGEE QUOTA
TO DO SOMETHING PARTICULARLY TO HELP TO EASE THE
INCREASINGLY DIFFICULT REFUGEE SITUATION IN HONG KONG.
HE REFERRED NOT ONLY TO YOUR DISCUSSIONS WITH SUGIMOTO IN
THE JAPANESE CONSULATE GENERAL IN HONG KONG BUT
ALSO TO THE CALL WHICH FUJII, THE NEWLY APPOINTED
JAPANESE CONSUL GENERAL, WOULD BE MAKING ON 16 NOVEMBER.
3. ONDA TOOK CAREFUL NOTE BUT HIS REPLIES SHOULD
AT BEST BE INTERPRETED AS DEMONSTRATING A CAUTIOUS
APPROACH. THE FOLLOWING WERE THE MAIN POINTS:-
A) THE JAPANESE GOVERNMENT WERE AWARE OF THE
PROBLEM IN HONG KONG AND WOULD DO WHAT THEY
COULD. BUT THEY COULD NOT PROMISE TO TAKE SPECIFIC NUMBERS.
E) JAPAN WAS 'NOT ATTRACTIVE FOR RESETTLEMENT ''
IN THE EYES OF MOST VIETNAMESE. IT HAD
TAKEN NEARLY 6 YEARS FOR 2,689 VIETNAMESE TO DECIDE TO SETTLE HERE. THERE WAS A -''NATURAL GROWTH OF PEOPLE WHO DESIRE TO
RESETTLE IN JAPAN WHICH SEEMS TO RUN AT
ABOUT 500 A YEAR''.
C) THE INCREASE IN THE QUOTA WAS DESIGNED
TO ACCOMMODATE THIS NATURAL GROWTH'' RATHER
THAN HERALDING A CHANGE IN JAPANESE POLICY.
D) JAPAN HAD TAKEN A TOTAL OF 1,242 REFUGEES
FROM OTHER COUNTRIES (THE REST HAD COME
TO JAPAN DIRECT ON FIRST PORT OF CALL
BASIS). THE FIGURES OF 135 REFUGEES
FROM HONG KONG WAS NOT SU SMALL WHEN SEEN
IN THIS PERSPECTIVE.
E) JAPAN ALSO HAD A PROBLEM OF 1,979 REFUGEES
HERE WHO WISHED TO SETTLE ELSEWHERE.
F) THE JAPANESE GOVERNMENT HAD BEEN INDICATING
INDIRECTLY TO THE VIETNAMESE GOVERNMENT THAT IT
SHOULD BEHAVE MORE RESPONSIBLY'' AS FAR AS ITS OWN CITIZENS WERE CONCERNED, IN THE HOPE THAT
THIS WOULD REDUCE THE NUMBER OF REFUGEES LEAVING
THE COUNTRY.
CONFIDENTIAL
HKCK 243/2
RECEIVED IN PEL ISTANY LENOV 3
INDEA
see (187)
PRIORY
Take
:4.