TNAG-2776-FCO40-3993-Hong-Kong-questions-for-the-Legislative-Council-(LEGCO)-on-c-1993 — Page 36

CONFIDENTIAL

CONFIDENTIAL

FM TOKYO

TO DESKBY 010900Z FCO

TELNO 828

OF 010823Z NOVEMBER 93

ADVANCE COPY

INFO IMMEDIATE HONG KONG, PEKING, UKREP JLG HONG KONG

19

65

20

017055

MDADAN 3704

HONG KONG TELNO 1686 AND YOUR TELNO 937 TO HONG KONG: LEGCO QUESTION ON COMFORT WOMEN

1.

WE ARE BROADLY CONTENT WITH THE PROPOSED LINE TO TAKE IN RESPONSE TO THIS QUESTION (REPLIES TO A) AND B) IN FIRST TUR AND REPLY TO C) AS IN SECOND TUR).

2.

WE WOULD BE INCLINED TO RECOMMEND AGAINST A REFERENCE TO THE PRIME MINISTERIAL EXCHANGE ON FEPOWS IN TOKYO IN THE REPLY TO (C). SEEN FROM HERE, IT IS NATURAL THAT ''COMFORT WOMEN'' CLAIMS IN HONG KONG SHOULD EMERGE (AND PERHAPS SURPRISING THAT THEY HAVE NOT SURFACED SOONER), AND APPROPRIATE THAT THE GOVERNMENT SHOULD APPEAR MODESTLY HELPFUL BY POINTING OUT THAT IT IS OPEN FOR THE WOMEN OR THEIR LEGITIMATE REPRESENTATIVES TO OPEN DISCUSSIONS WITH THE GOVERNMENT OF JAPAN, PROVIDED THAT THE LEGAL BASIS IS CLEARLY UNDERSTOOD. BUT IT WOULD BE UNFORTUNATE IF WE WERE TO APPEAR TO STIMULATE, AT THIS EARLY STAGE, ANY EXPECTATION THAT THESE CLAIMS WOULD BE TAKEN UP ON THE SAME FOOTING OR WITH THE SAME LEVEL OF MINISTERIAL SUPPORT AS THE FEPOW CLAIMS. IF THE ISSUE GENERATES SUFFICIENT POLITICAL MOMENTUM IN HONG KONG OR THE UK THAT MAY BE THE OUTCOME. BUT WE SHOULD PREFER NOT TO SIGNAL THAT SO CLEARLY AT THE OUTSET.

3.

WE CHECKED WITH THE MFA ON 1 NOVEMBER WHETHER THEIR INVESTIGATIONS INTO THE COMFORT WOMEN ISSUE HAD PRODUCED ANY EVIDENCE OF INVOLVEMENT OF HONG KONG WOMEN. FUJII (KOREA DIVISION) CONFIRMED THAT ALTHOUGH IT HAD BEEN ESTABLISHED THAT MILITARY BROTHELS HAD BEEN SET UP IN HONG KONG THERE WAS NO EVIDENCE THAT ANY HONG KONG WOMEN HAD BEEN 'RECRUITED''. THE REPORT (PUBLISHED 4 AUGUST: SUMMARY BY FAX TO DPA, HONG KONG) CONFIRMED ONLY THAT COMFORT WOMEN HAD BEEN RECRUITED FROM JAPAN, THE KOREAN PENINSULA, CHINA, TAIWAN, THE PHILIPPINES, INDONESIA AND THE NETHERLANDS. THESE THE GREAT MAJORITY WERE FROM THE KOREAN PENINSULA.

STATUS OF OTHER COMFORT WOMEN CLAIMS

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