TNAG-2016-FCO40-2871-Relations-between-Hong-Kong-and-Japan-1990 — Page 252

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MDHIAN 3134

JOINT DECLARATION.

VIETNAMESE BOAT PEOPLE

6. NAKAYAMA SAID THAT HIS GOVERNMENT WAS STUDYING THE VBP ISSUE CLOSELY HE HAD VISITED THE ARGYLE VBP CAMP ON 3 NOVEMBER AND

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WAS AWARE OF THE DIFFICULTIES WE FACED. JAPAN HAD ALREADY PROVIDED US DOLLARS 11 MILLION WORTH OF FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE TO US THROUGH UNHCR AND INTENDED TO CONTINUE THIS POLICY NEXT YEAR. THEY ALSO INTENDED TO DOUBLE THE AMOUNT OF FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE THEY GAVE TO UNHCR FOR VOLUNTARY REPATRIATION NEXT YEAR

(US DOLLARS 170,000 THIS YEAR). IF A TRANSIT CENTRE WAS ESTABLISHED IN THE PHILIPPINES, THE JAPANESE WOULD AGAIN BE WILLING TO CO- OPERATE IN SUCH A PROJECT. THEY NOW FACED THEIR OWN INFLOW OF VBP. BUT MOST OF THEIR ARRIVALS WERE CHINESE IMMIGRANTS POSING AS VIETNAMESE AND ON BEING REFUSED THE OPPORTUNITY TO WORK IN JAPAN MOST VOLUNTEERED TO RETURN TO CHINA. THE VIETNAMESE INFLOW INTO HONG KONG WAS CLEARLY FAR WORSE. IT WAS IMPORTANT TO HALT THE FLOW AT SOURCE. THE JAPANESE WOULD CONSIDER AN INITIATIVE EARLY NEXT YEAR WITH H HMG TO APPROACH THE VIETNAMESE ON FURTHER MEASURES TO HALT THE OUTFLOW. MEANWHILE, WHILE HE HAD BEEN IMPRESSED WITH OUR NGO PROGRAMMES IN THE CAMP

AND HE HAD VISITED, HE FELT THAT MORE MEDICAL ASSISTANCE VOCATIONAL TRAINING ASSISTANCE MIGHT ALSO BE GIVEN TO HONG KONG. HE ASKED FOR MY VIEWS ON THE VBP PROBLEM AS A WHOLE.

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7 I SAID THAT IT WAS COMPARATIVELY SIMPLE, IN TERMS INTERNATIONAL REACTIONS, BOTH FOR US AND THE JAPANESE TO RETURN PEOPLE TO CHINA. WE RETURNED SOME 20-30,000 ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS TO CHINA EVERY YEAR. THE GREAT MAJORITY OF VIETNAMESE ARRIVALS IN HONG KONG NO LONGER QUALIFIED FOR INTERNATIONAL RESETTLEMENT. UNFORTUNATELY VERY FEW VOLUNTEERED OR WERE LIKELY TO DO SO. SOME 500 HAD BEEN RETURNED TO FAR. WE NEEDED ARRANGEMENTS TO SEND BACK THE REMAINDER WITH SUITABLE AGREEMENT OF NO PROSECUTION AND MONITORING ARRANGEMENTS. WE WERE WORKING HARD TO PUT THESE ARRANGEMENTS IN PLACE. NAKAYAMA ASKED IF UNHCR HAD A ROLE TO PLAY IN THIS PROCESS. I SAID THAT UNHCR MUST REALISE THAT IT WAS NECESSARY TO MAKE PROPER ARRANGEMENTS FOR NON-REFUGEES

FOR GENUINE IN ORDER TO PRESERVE THE PRESENT ARRANGEMENTS REFUGEES. UNHCR WERE UNWILLING TO FACE UP TO THIS CONCLUSION BE- CAUSE OF POSSIBLE INTERNATIONAL CRITICISM. WE HAD TOLD UNHCR WE WISHED TO INVOLVE THEM IN POST-RETURN MONITORING AND HAD WARNED THAT UNLESS ARRANGEMENTS FOR RETURN COULD BE PUT IN PLACE SOON, THE POLITICAL EXPLOSION THAT WOULD SURROUND A FURTHER INFLOW HERE NEXT YEAR WOULD PUT FIRST ASYLUM AT RISK.

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