Chinese seeks asylum

Press, 31 October 1983, Page 1

Chinese seeks asylum

A Chinese seaman in Christchurch claims he was asked by the Chinese Government to spy on maritime security. The seaman, who was convicted of being an illegal immigrant after leaving his ship at Lyttelton, is seeking refugee status in New Zealand. Han Bao Sheng, aged 32, a steward, has been held in custody at Addington Prison pending deportation since August 18 when he was found guilty in the District Court of entering New Zealand without a permit. His lawyer, Mr Doug Taffs, said yesterday that Han fears for his life if he is repatriated. Han arrived at the port on a British bulk carrier registered in Hong Kong and manned by a Chinese crew. When the ship sailed on August 14 he was not on board and was reported missing.

He was found in Lyttelton the next morning.

Mr Taffs said at the deportation hearing that his client had some funds to return home, but that there was a “two-China” problem to be resolved. He declined to elaborate on the comment yesterday, but said that Han’s reasons for jumping ship were “ideological.”

Mr Taffs said that before Han left China to sign on at Hong Kong, he was asked by his Government to collect information for it at the ports he visited.

Han says that he and all of his family are members of the Chinese Communist Party, and that his father held an important position. Mr Taffs said that an application for refugee status would be filed today. For it to be awarded, it must be established that Han would face “a wellfounded fear of persecution either from his home Government or from other people there if deported,” he said. If granted refugee status, he would be given international documents entitling him to travel freely to countries prepared to accept him. Essentially, Mr Taffs said, he would be legitimatised as stateless and he could, with the permission of the New Zealand Government, remain here. Mr Taffs dismissed a report in a weekly newspaper, that his client had been interrogated during his 10week stay at Addington. He said that immigration and internal affairs officials had been “extremely helpful and understanding” and that Han was regarded as “a model prisoner.” The Minister of Immigration, Mr Malcolm, declined to comment on the matter yesterday. “As a matter of general practice, I don’t discuss the personal affairs of anyone who may be having dealings with my department as a migrant,” he said.