GR 400
CONFIDENTIAL
FM HONG KONG
TO PRIORITY FCO
TELNO 2458
OF 110859Z NOVEMBER 85
INFO ROUTINE TOKYO
FOR LEEKS
FROM WOODHOUSE
CONFIDENTIAL
-pa
PLORERY
хе
416
Ph Walker dropper.
43/2 MKC 243.
RECEIVED IN REGISTRY
26 NOV 1935
How did we leave
It with Tolgo
i were
we to revert at
forestige
се
VIETNAMESE REFUGEES.
DESK OFFICER
AFCISTRY
INDEX
PÄ
Action Taken
WE HAVE RECEIVED THE FOLLOWING REPORT FROM JOHN YEUNG, ASSISTANT DIRECTOR OF IMMIGRATION, WHO VISITED JAPAN AS A PARTICIPANT IN
A SENIOR STAFF COURSE. HE SPOKE TO THE DIRECTOR OF THE ADMINISTRATION
DIVISION OF THE IMMIGRATION BUREAU IN THE MINISTRY OF JUSTICE WHO
SAID HE HAD JUST RECEIVED A REQUEST FROM THE HONG KONG GOVERNMENT
TO TAKE MORE BOAT REFUGEES. HE ASKED HOW SERIOUS THE PROBLEM WAS
AND WHAT HONG KONG HAD DONE SO FAR. YEUNG GAVE HIM A BRIEF RUN DOWN
OF THE SITUATION AND INDICATED THAT, DESPITE ITS SMALL SIZE, HONG
KONG HAD TAKEN 14,500 REFUGEES ALREADY AND WAS STILL EXAMINING THE
POSSIBILITY OF TAKING MORE. THE DIRECTOR SAID THAT THERE WERE ABOUT
1,000 BOAT REFUGEES IN JAPAN ACCOMMODATED IN ABOUT 10 CENTRES. HIS EXPERIENCE WAS THAT MANY DID NOT FAVOUR SETTLEMENT IN JAPAN BECAUSE
OF THE LANGUAGE BARRIER AND CUSTOM DIFFERENCES AND HE WONDERED WHY
JAPAN HAD BEEN ASKED TO TAKE MORE. YEUNG REPLIED THAT IT WOULD NOT
BE CORRECT TO ASSUME THAT BOAT REFUGEES IN HONG KONG DID NOT WANT
TO SETTLE IN JAPAN. BUT IT WOULD BE INAPPROPRIATE FOR HKG TO PUT
THIS POSSIBILITY TO THE REFUGEES WITHOUT SOME INDICATION FROM THE
JAPANESE GOVERNMENT THAT IT WOULD BE APPROPRIATE TO DO SO. IF HIS GOVERNMENT COULD GIVE A POSITIVE INDICATION AND A QUOTA, WE COULD THEN START ENQUIRIES. THE DIRECTOR SAID THAT HE WOULD BE
DESPATCHING A TEAM OF OFFICERS TO HONG KONG TO EXAMINE THE PROBLEM.
2. WE THINK THAT THIS REPORT SHOULD BE READ WITH THAT OF MY MEETING IN GENEVA WITH HORIMURA, WHO SAID THAT HE HAD NOT REALISED THE SERIOUSNESS OF HONG KONG'S REFUGEE PROBLEM. HE ALSO RAISED THE QUESTION OF WHETHER VIETNAMESE REFUGEES HEPE WOULD WISH TO BE RESETTLED IN JAPAN. I SAID THAT EACH JAPANESE MISSION HAD BEEN
OVER-SUBSCRIBED SEVERAL TIMES.
CONFIDENTIAL