Banishment of Anti-Communist Chinese to Formosa: The British as Effectual Mediators in Malaya.

This research examines the Malayan deportation regime by looking at the banishment of two categories of deportees to Formosa, who could not be deported to mainland China due to their anti-communist outlook. It aims to: 1) analyse an alternative solution to sending alien Chinese to Formosa instead of mainland China, 2) the shifting policy of the British in facilitating the banishment of anti-communist alien Chinese to Formosa, and 3) the attitude of the Federation government in threatening (both the British and Formosa) to send the Chinese to China, if the British consul failed to persuade Formosa to accept them. It asks how the relationship between Malaya, the British and Formosa shaped Malayan banishment practices. This article suggests that the practices were hampered by the absence of diplomatic channels between Malaya and Formosa and the reluctance of Malaya to deal on a non-official basis through the Free China Relief Association. This, then presented the British with the dilemma of whether or not they had a special responsibility to resolve the issue on behalf of its former colony. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]