CONFIDENTIAL
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050124
MDHIAN 3809
CONFIDENTIAL
FM TOKYO
TO IMMEDIATE FCO
TELNO 417
OF 090905Z MAY 89
INFO PRIORITY HONG KONG, WASHINGTON, UKMIS GENEVA, HANOI
26
YOUR TELNO 860 TO WASHINGTON: VBP IN HONG KONG
SUMMARY
1. JAPAN SYMPATHETIC AND READY TO SUPPORT ANYSPECIFIC PROPOSALS
BOTH FINANCIALLY AND POLITICALLY.
DETAIL
2. MINISTER YESTERDAY (8 MAY) BRIEFED KIJIMA, DEPUTY DIRECTOR GENERAL UN BUREAU ON THE SITUATION IN HONG KONG AS INSTRUCTED
IN TUR. HE EMPHASISED THE SERIOUSNESS WITH WHICH WE VIEWED THE LATEST INFLUX OF REFUGEES. IT WAS PARTICULARLY DISQUIETING THAT
THIS WAS AT A TIME WHEN VIETNAM WAS CLAIMING ITS WILLINGNESS TO COOPERATE IN INTERNATIONAL EFFORTS TO RESOLVE THE PROBLEM. THE CPA WAS AN IMPORTANT FRAMEWORK FOR INTERNATIONAL ACTION AND THE IDEA OF A REGIONAL HOLDING CENTRE NEEDED POSITIVE STUDY. DID
JAPAN HAVE ANY IDEAS ON HOW THE PROBLEM COULD BE RESOLVED. WOULD SHE BE TAKING ANY MORE REFUGEES HERSELF?
3. KIJIMA SAID THAT JAPAN WAS ALREADY AWARE OF THE PROBLEM IN HONG KONG. THE MFA WAS WILLING TO SUPPORT ''ACTIVELY'' ANY
IDEAS THE UK MIGHT HAVE FOR REDUCING THE FLOW. DID WE HAVE ANY
SPECIFIC REQUEST? JAPAN WAS VERY READY TO BE FORTHCOMING FINANCIALLY IF CONCRETE PROPOSALS WERE SUGGESTED. JAPAN WAS ALSO UNDER QUOTA FOR RESETTLEMENT: 6 THOUSAND REFUGEES HAD BEEN RESETTLED AGAINST A QUOTA OF 10 THOUSAND. THERE WERE ADMITTEDLY DISINCENTIVES FOR REFUGEES COMING TO JAPAN, NOTABLY THE LANGUAGE AND DIFFICULTIES IN OBTAINING JOBS. JAPANESE LANGUAGE TRAINING WAS TAKING PLACE IN SOME ASEAN CAMPS, BUT IT WAS DIFFICULT FOR THE JAPANESE GOVERNMENT TO DIRECT PRIVATE INDUSTRY TO FIND
EMPLOYMENT FOR REFUGEES.
4. ON INTERNATIONAL EFFORTS HE AGREED THAT THE CPA WAS IMPORTANT. THE FACT THAT VIETNAM HAD ALREADY SUBSCRIBED TO IT MEANT THAT IT WAS LIKELY TO BE ADOPTED IN JUNE. JAPAN HAD ALSO PRESSED VIETNAM AT ITS BILATERAL CONTACTS TO DO MORE TO STEM THE OUTFLOW. BUT CONVERSELY ARRANGEMENTS SHOULD NOT BE MADE SO ATTRACTIVE TO
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CONFIDENTIAL
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