TNAG-1278-FCO40-1629-Statistics-on-Vietnamese-refugees-in-Hong-Kong-1983 — Page 146

Foreign and Commonwealth Office London SW1A 2AH

Telephone 01- 233 4439

UNCLASSIFIED

P J Williamson

Deputy Secretary for Security

Security Branch

Government Secretariat HONG KONG

Your reference

Our reference

Date

HKK 243/4

RECEIVED IN REGISTRY NO. 51

17 JAN 1983

DESK C INDEX

No

18/1

TRY

Action Taken

GB

STATISTICS OF VIETNAMESE REFUGEES IN HONG KONG

1.

13 January 1983

wp

We have just received Hong Kong saving telegram 535, giving a situation report on refugees in Hong Kong on 1 January, and some comparative regional statistics for 1982. These seem to us to contain a few inconsistencies that we cannot readily account for.

2.

In paragraph 3, for example, the Hong Kong figures show that there were 1108 more resettlements than arrivals (C-B) in Jan-Nov 1982. However, the total figures for 1 December 1982 are only down 173 from 1 January 1982. Furthermore, the December 1982 figures (paragraph 1) show 204 more resettlements than arrivals, but the total monthly figures for 1 December 1982 and 1 January 1983 only differ by 50. We have tried, but failed, to account for these differences through the 'China cases'.

3.

Unfortunately, it isn't only the Hong Kong figures that baffle us. According to our (perhaps simplistic) arithmetic, all the calculations in paragraph 3 are wrong. For example, the Philippines are stated to have reduced their total by 2433, but their 1982 resettlements only exceed arrivals by 530!

4.

As you know, we often use figures such as these for briefing and correspondence. We would, therefore, be grateful if you would ask someone to have a look at them, and either correct them or explain to us where we have gone wrong!

RJ F Hoare

Hong Kong and General Department