TNAG-1181-FCO40-1483-Resettlement-of-Vietnamese-refugees-from-Hong-Kong-into-the--1982 — Page 145

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CONFIDENTIAL

MENO

機密

From : Commissioner of Police (DSB)

To: Secretary for Security

Ref.:

SF/404-124

Tel. :

5-284284 Ext.204

Date :

4th December 1981

Summary of Motivation of Vietnamese Refugee Arrivals

June to August 1981

Please refer to my memoranda in this series dated 9th

July and 3rd December 1981.

2.

A composite report is attached of the motivation of 151 refugees who arrived in Hong Kong between late June and early August 1981 in 62 groups extracted from interview notes. The information therein was not obtained as a result of a specific motivation survey (as was the information in the two a/m references), but was in response to specific questions on motivation, which are asked as a routine measure during the course of interviews of refugees.

3.

It will be seen from the attached report that the vast majority of refugees (125 out of 151) cite economic reasons as either the principal or secondary motivating factor for their departure. However. the nature of the economic reasons for departure vary, as do their causes. For example discrimination against former government and military personnel often leads to unemployment, which in turn leads to economic

hardships. Similarly discrimination against Catholics and Buddhists often leads to economic hardships too. This factor of "economic hardship was given by refugees from both sides of the former North/South demarcation line. The "pull effect" came to light in almost every example of economic hardship motivation. When refugees who felt they were suffering undue economic hardship, received letters, or heard broadcasts from overseas that life overseas was much better than in Vietnam, this was often the terminant which caused them to leave. The "pull effect" was also present with other motives given. The second most quoted motivation was political persecution and 14 persons cited this as their reason for leaving. Of these, 13 were from the former South Vietnam (12 government or military personnel and one doctor) and one was a demobilised NCO from the North Vietnamese Navy. Avoidance of the military draft was the third most popular reason for leaving Vietnam, with 13 persons giving this as the motive, of which seven were students (one from North Vietnam) and six were young industrial workers (from Danang). However, this number should probably be higher because some young men, in order to avoid the draft had "gone underground", were thus unemployed or in low paid employment and therefore left for economic hardship reasons. Other motivating factors were "to seek freedom" (a teacher and a doctor from Central Vietnam), "no future in Vietnam (an architect from Northern Vietnam) and fear by corrupt PSS officers of being caught for their involvement in helping refugees escape (2 cases).

CONFIDENTIAL

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