TNAG-1536-FCO40-2100-Hong-Kong-Vietnamese-refugees-resettlement-in-third-countri-1986 — Page 17

GRS 950

CONFIDENTINAL

FM HONG KONG

TO PRIORITY FCO

TELNO 1970

OF 25065OZ JUNE 86

CONFIDENTIAL

HCK 243/9

RECEIVELY REGISTRY

27 JUN 1986

>> S« OFFICER

INFO PRIORITY UKMIS GENEVA,HANOT

ENGA

62

REGISTRY

PA

Action Taken

74

899

1143

YOUR TELNO 1182 : VIETNAMESE REFUGEES.

AS REGARDS THE QUESTIONS POSED IN YOUR PARAGRAPH 4, WE HAVE THE FOLLOWING COMMENTS:

(A) ACCORDING TO STATISTICS PROVIDED BY THE UNHCR THERE WERE 10,011 ARRIVALS IN THE REGION IN THE FIRST 5 MONTHS OF 1985, COMPARED TO 9124 IN THE SAME PERIOD IN 1986 A 9 PER CENT DECREASE. IN HONG

KONG THERE WERE 410 ARRIVALS IN THE FIRST 5 MONTHS OF 1985 COMPARED

TO 790 N 1986 A 93 PER CENT INCREASE.

(B) IN THE PERIOD UP TO THE 25 JUNE 1985, 399 PERSONS VOLUNTARILY DEPARTED HONG KONG AND 500 REMAINED HN HONG KONG. DURING THE SAME PERIOD IN 1986, 149 PERSONS ELECTED TO LEAVE HONG KONG WHILE 1004

STAYED. THIS MEANS THAT 44 PER CENT OF THOSE ARRIVING IN HONG

KONG UP TO 25 JUNE LAST YEAR ELECTED TO CONTINUE THEIR JOURNEY

WHEREAS ONLY 14 PER CENT THIS YEAR HAVE ELECTED TO DO SO.

2. FROM THE FOREGOING IT CAN BE SEEN THAT HONG KONG'S INCREASE WIN

DE ARRIVALS DOES NOT REFLECT THE OVERALL REGIONALNCREASE. WE ARE

UNCLEAR AS TO THE REASONS FOR THIS, BUT SEE PARAGRAPH 4 BELOW.

3. THE REDUCTION IN THE NUMBER OF VOLUNTARY DEPARTURE CASES IS

PROBABLY DUE TO THE ACTION TAKEN BY CHINESE AUTHORITIES TO STEM

THE FLOW OF EX-CHINA CASES. WE HAVE MADE SEVERAL APPROACHES TO THEM

THROUGH BORDER LHAMISON CHANNELS.

4. AS REGARDS REASONS FOR THE INCREASE, WE HAVE INTERVIEWED MANY

OF THE REFUGEES WHO HAVE ARRIVED THIS YEAR IN AN ATTEMPT TO FIND

OUT WHY THEY ARE COMING TO HONG KONG AND WHY THEY ARE COMING IN

LARGER NUMBERS. IN PARTICULAR WE WERE LOOKING FOR EXTERNAL REASONS

(SUCH AS THE ATTRACTION OF AN INCREASED OFFTAKE FROM HONG KONG) OR INTERNAL REASONS (SUCH AS TYPHOONS AFFECTING LARGE PARTS OF NORTHERN

WHETNAM AND THE CONTINUING DECLINE IN THE WIETNAMESE ECONOMY).

WE HAVE NOT BEEN ABLE TO #SOLATE ANY ONE PART CLUAR REASON FOR THE

HINCREASE. BUT A NUMBER OF FACTORS ARE RELEVANT:

(A) WITH EFFECT FROM JULY 1985 THE GOVERNMENT IN VIETNAM HMMPOSED A HEAVY TAX ON THE HARVESTS OF FARMERS. IT HAS BEEN INCREASED FROM

1400 KILOGRAMMES TO 1800 KILOGRAMMES FOR EVERY HECTARE OF CULTANATED LAND. IF THE FARMERS CANNOT MEET THE TAX THEN THEMR

PRIVATE PROPERTY HIS CONFISCATED.

CONFIDENTIAL