WIR
CONFIDEN
PAL
GR 340
CONFIDENTIAL
FM MANILA 1503302 AUG 79
TO PRIORITY FCO
TELEGRAM NUMBER 362 OF 15 AUGUST
1575
Hke avall.
RECEIVED IN AFS VEY NO. 51
INDEX
16 AUG 1979 A
REGISTRY
orion Tate
INFO PRIORITY HONG KONG, UKMIS GENEVA, WAGHIHA
ROUTINE JAKARTA, KUALA LUMPUR, BANGKOK, SINGAPORE, UKMIS NEW YORK, UKREP BRUSSELS, CANBERRA AND DUBLIN.
YOUR TELNO 188: REFUGEE PROCESSING CENTRE.
See 1579
1. FOREIGN MINISTER BEING INDISPOSED I REHEARSED THESE ARGUMENTS TODAY TO HIS DEPUTY, INGLES, LEAVING AIDE MENOIRE (COPIES BY BAG), HE SAID LARGER CENTRE IN PALAWAN IS STILL FAR FROM OPERATIONAL:
UNHCR'S SENIOR CONSULTANT WAS NOW IN PHILIPPINES TO DISCUSS WHAT FACILITIES ARE REQUIRED AND IT WOULD BE AT LEAST THREE MONTHS BEFORE CENTRE RECEIVED FIRST REFUGEES. THERE WAS THUS PLENTY OF TIME FOR CONSIDERATION OF OUR REPRESENTATIONS ON BEHALF OF HONG KONG AND HE WOULD SEE THAT THIS WAS GIVEN. JUDGED IT BEST NOT TO PRESS
HIM FURTHER AT THIS TIME.
2. UNHCR'S REPRESENTATIVE TELLS US HE HAD MADE GOME PROCESS OVER ACCESS FOR HONG KONG TO SMALLER CENTRE ON TARA ISLAND WHEN WHOLE MATTER WENT INTO MELTING POT WITH DECISION THAT MRS MARCOS SHOULD TAKE CHARGE OF BOTH CENTRES. WITH HER BACKING THINGS ARE NOW MOVING QUICKLY BUT QUESTION OF ACCESS WILL HAVE TO BE CONSIDERED AFRESH. IF IT SEEMED NECESSARY HE WOULD REINFORCE OUR REPRESENTAT- 1ONS ON HONG KONG'S BEHALF. I HAVE ASKED HIM TO DO SO. HE BELIEVES THAT IN THE END SOME ACCESS WILL PROBABLY DE ALLOWED TO THOSE IN HONG KONG, THOUGH ASEAN COUNTRIES WILL GET PRIORITY.
3. THIS IS ONLY TO BE EXPECTED AND IT WOULD BE PRUDENT TO ASSUME THAT IF WE ARE ABLE TO PERSUADE PHILIPPINES TO TAKE SOME REFUGEES
FROM HONG KONG IT MAY BE NO MORE THAN A TOKEN NUMBER.
CONFIDENTIAL
14.
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