ZCZC
LNGBAN 3775 OCMIAN 9314
CONFIDENTIAL
TT GEMIS
FM FCOLM TO TOKYO
1014157 JUL
GRS 498
CONFIDENTIAL
FM FCO
TO TELELETTER TOKYO
TELELETTER NFR
OF 1014152 JULY 86
AND TO TELELETTER HONG KONG, UKMIS GENEVA
REDLI
FKK 243/9
23 JUL 1986
INDEX
PA
FROM D C WILSON AUS
TO B HITCH ESQ CMG CVO, TOKYO, D G JEAFFRESON ESQ CBE JP, GOVERNMENT SECRETARIAT, HONG KONG, COPIED TO DJ MOSS ESQ, UKMIS
GENEVA
VIETNAMESE REFUGEES IN HONG KONG:
SUMMARY
1.
RESETTLEMENT IN JAPAN
1 SUMMONED SEKI, MINISTER AT THE JAPANESE EMBASSY, ON 8 JULY, TO EXPRESS OUR CONCERN AT JAPAN'S RECORD ON RESETTLEMENT. I ASKED THAT THEIR POLICY, AND PARTICULARLY THEIR RESETTLEMENT CRITERIA, BE REVIEWED WITH A VIEW TO INCREASING THEIR OFF TAKE FROM HONG KONG. SEXI TOOK NOTE AND PROMISED TO RESPOND.
DETAIL
2.
I REMINDED SEKI OF OUR SERIOUS CONCERN OVER THE CONTINUING PROBLEM OF VIETNAMESE REFUGEES IN HONG KONG, I DREW ATTENTION TO THE DIFFICULTIES HONG KONG HAS FACED SINCE 1979 IN ACCOMMODATING IN CAMPS VIETNAMESE REFUGEES WHO HAVE NO LINKS WITH THE TERRITORY WHILST ILLEGAL ARRIVALS FROM CHINA, WHO HAVE ETHNIC AND FAMILY TIES WITH HONG KONG, ARE SUMMARILY RETURNED. SINCE THE 1979 INFLUX FROM VIETNAM, COMPASSION FATIGUE' HAD GRADUALLY REMOVED TUC PROBLEM FROM THE INTERNATIONAL SPOTLIGHT. HONG KONG NOW HAD MORE VIETNAMESE REFUGEES THAN ALMOST ALL OTHER PLACES OF FIRST ASYLUM IN SE ASIA, AND A HIGHER PROPORTION (67 PER CENT) HAD BEEN IN HONG KONG CAMPS FOR MORE THAN 3 YEARS. HMG'S REVIEW OF ITS RESETTLEMENT POLICY HAD TAKEN ACCOUNT OF THESE FACTORS: WE HAD RELAXED OUR CRITERIA SO AS TO TAKE MORE VIETNAMESE FROM HONG KONG AND HAD CONDUCTED A DIPLOMATIC CAMPAIGN TO ENCOURAGE OTHERS TO FOLLOW SUIT. IN THIS REGARD, COULD JAPAN CONSIDER A SPECIAL EFFORT TO TAKE MORE OF THESE REFUGEES THEMSELVES, PERHAPS BY RELAXING THEIR PRESENT CRITERIA WHICH MADE IT VERY DIFFICULT FOR REFUGEES TO GO TO JAPAN? I SAID THAT EVERY COUNTRY MUST HAVE ENTRY CRITERIA, BUT THESE COULD BE INTERPRETED SO AS TO ADMIT MANY, OR FEW, REFUGEES.
3.
I SAID THAT IF THE JAPANESE DID TAKE MORE VIETNAMESE, THIS WOULD BE VERY WELL RECEIVED IN HONG KONG AND IN OTHER PARTS OF THE REGION. 1 GAVE SEKI DETAILS OF THE NUMBERS OF NEW PLACES PROMISED BY OTHER COUNTRIES AND, IN RESPONSE TO HIS QUESTION, CONFIRMED THAT THESE NUMBERS WERE EITHER FOR 1986 OR FOR ANOTHER CURRENT 12 MONTH PERIOD.
4.
+
SEKI CONFESSED THAT HE WAS UNSIGHTED (AS WAS KAWASHIMA,
HE SAID THAT JAPAN WAS COUNSELLOR (POLITICAL), WHO ACCOMPANIED). CONSIDERING WHETHER TO RELAX ITS ENTRY CRITERIA, AND WHETHER TO TAKE OTHER MEASURES
TO EG LANGUAGE OR VOCATIONAL TRAINING RAISE ITS REFUGEE INTAKE. IN RESPONSE TO FURTHER QUESTIONS, ! CONFIRMED THAT ALL THE REFUGEES IN HONG KONG WERE 'BOAT' REFUGEES, AND THAT THE FINANCIAL COST TO HONG KONG OF LOOKING AFTER THEM WAS VERY HIGH. ! ADDED THAT THE POLITICAL COST WAS ALSO HIGH. SEKI PROMISED, AS I HAD REQUESTED, TO RELAY TO TOKYO THE POINTS I HAD MADE, AND TO REPORT THE RESPONSE.
COMMENT
3. SEKI MADE HELPFUL NOISES BUT NON COMMITTAL AS WAS TO BE EXPECTED. WHETHER THE JAPANESE WILL DO ANYTHING PRACTICAL REMAINS TO BE SEEN. WE SHALL KEEP THEM TO THEIR UNDERTAKING TO RESPOND.
SIGNED D C WILSON
OCMIAN 9314
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