HRD 243/8.
CONFIDENTIAL
CONFIDENTIAL
FM TOKYO
TO IMMEDIATE FCO
TELNO 590
OF 09075OZ JUNE 88
INFO PRIORITY UKMIS GENEVA, HONG KONG
INFO ROUTINE WASHINGTON OTTAWA, CANBERRA
TOP COPY Q DIST ?
266
117101
MDHIAN 2641
YOUR TELNO 959 TO WASHINGTON: VIETNAMESE BOAT PEOPLE IN HONG KONG: CHANGE OF POLICY
SUMMARY
1. JAPANESE EXPRESS UNDERSTANDING FOR CHANGE OF POLICY.
DETAIL
2. HEAD OF CHANCERY TOOK ACTION ON 8 JUNE WITH KIJIMA, DEPUTY DIRECTOR GENERAL OF THE UN BUREAU, MFA AND LEFT BEHIND A SPEAKING NOT BASED ON YOUR TELNO 960 TO WASHINGTON.
3. KIJIMA EXPRESSED THE JAPANESE GOVERNMENT'S UNDERSTANDING OF THE
PROPOSED CHANGE OF POLICY AND A WILLINGNESS TO MAKE JAPAN'S SUPPORT
PUBLICLY KNOWN, FOR EXAMPLE AT THE ENLARGED ASEAN MEETING IN JULY. THE MFA WOULD TALK TO NHK ABOUT GIVING PUBLICITY TO OUR CHANGE OF
POLICY ON THEIR SERVICES BEAMED AT VIETNAM. IN THIS CONTEXT KIJIMA
SAID THAT IT WOULD BE HELPFUL TO HAVE A COPY OF THE EVENTUAL STATEMENT ANNOUNCING THE NEW POLICY.
4. THE JAPANESE WOULD ALSO USE THEIR INFLUENCE TO URGE THE VIETNAMESE
TO ACCEPT THE RETURN OF THOSE WHO DO NOT QUALIFY FOR REFUGEE STATUS. BUT KIJIMA CAUTIONED THAT THE JAPANESE DO NOT HAVE MUCH LEVERAGE
WITL THE VIETNAMESE.
5. KIJIMA SAID THAT THE JAPANESE GOVERNMENT WELL UNDERSTOOD THE POLITICAL DIFFICULTIES FOR HONG KONG CREATED BY THE INFLUX OF VIETNAMESE BOAT PEOPLE. HOWEVER THE JAPANESE HAD BEEN SURPRISED THAT THIS ISSUE HAD NOT BEEN RAISED BY THE GOVERNOR OF HONG KONG WHEN FOREIGN MINISTER UNO VISITED HONG KONG ON 30 APRIL. JAPAN
REMAINED WILLING TO ACCEPT FOR RESETTLEMENT REFUGEEES ALREADY IN
HONG KONG WHO MET JAPAN'S RESETTLEMENT CRITERIA. THE JAPANESE PLAN
TO SEND A FURTHER MISSION TO HONG KONG LATER THIS YEAR TO INTERVIEW CANDIDATES FOR RESETTLEMENT. BUT RECENT EXPERIENCE
SUGGESTED THAT THE POOL OF THOSE MEETING JAPANESE CRITERIA
WAS DECREASING. THE JAPANESE INTENDED SHORTLY TO RELAX THEIR
1
PAGE
CONFIDENTIAL
No comments yet.
Private notes are available after approval.