GPS 400
108
HKK 24
CONFIDENTAL...
CONFIDENTIAL
F JAKARTA 227245Z SEP
? OUTINE FCO
TELEGRAM NUMBER 311 OF 22 SEPTEMBER
INFO ROUTINE MANILA, HONG KONG (FOR. GOVERNOR), UKMIS GENEV KUALA LUMPUR, SINGAPORE AND BANGKOK,
YOUR TELNO 202 OF 6 SEPTEMBER TO MANILA (ALSO TO JAKARTA) PARA 4.
1.
\. *
16GSA)
see (1716)
WE REGRET THE DELAY IN RESPONDING TO TUR, BUT THERE SEEMED ADVANTAGE IN WAITING UNTIL AN INTERNAL INDONESIAN ARGUMENT OVER WHETHER THE INDONESIAN REFUGEE PROCESSING CENTRE SHOULD BE ON CALANG ISLAND, AS ORIGINALLY PLANNED, OR ON BINTAN ISLAND HAD BEEN RESOLVED. THE INDONESIANS HAVE NOT MEANWHILE REVERTED TO THE QUESTION OF A BRITISH CONTRIBUTION TO THE PROCESSING CENTRE.
2. SIMMANCE, THE NEW UNHCR REPRESENTATIVE IN INDONESIA, TOLD THE HEAD OF CHANCERY THAT HE HAD BEEN INFORMED ON 21 SEPTEMBER BY THE INDONESIAN AUTHORITIES THAT PRESIDENT SUHARTO HAD DECIDED THAT THE PROCESSING CENTRE SHOULD AFTER ALL BE SITUATED ON GALANG AS ORIGINALLY INTENDED. (APPARENTLY THE DEA HAD SUBSEQUENTLY SUGGESTED BINTAN, TO ALLOW MORE ROOM ON GALANG FOR FIRST ARRIVAL CAMPS, WHOSE PRESENCE ON BINTAN HAD CAUSED PROBLEMS WITH THE LOCAL INHABITANTS, SIMMANCE SAID THE UNHCR ALREADY HAD SUFFICIENT FUNDS (HE MENTIONED US DOLLARS 13 MILLION) MAINLY FROM JAPANESE AND US CONTRIBUTIONS, FOR THE PROCESSING CENTRE, AND NOW THAT THE INDONESIANS HAD CONFIRMED THAT IT SHOULD BE BUILT ON GALANG CONSTRUCTION COULD START AS SOON AS SOME FINAL PLANNING HAD BEEN COMPLETED BY A PARTY OF SWISS EXPERTS WHO WERE DUE SHORTLY TO ARRIVE IN INDONESIA.
3.
SIMMANCE SAID THAT HIS CLEAR IMPRESSION WAS THAT THE FACILITIES AT THE PROCESSING CENTRE ON GALANG WOULD FOR THE FORESEEABLE FUTURE DE RESERVED ALMOST EXCLUSIVELY FOR REFUGEES ALREADY IN INDONESIA WAITING TO GO TO THE US, AND THAT THERE WAS NO INDONESIAN INCLINATION TO LET ANY REFUGEES IN MALAYSIA O OTHER ASEAN COUNTRIES (LET ALONG HONG KONG) USE THE CENTRE. THE INDONESIANS HAD MADE IT CLEAR TO HIM THAT AS MANY OF THE REFUGEES IN INDONESIA HAD EITHER BEEN FENDED OFF MALAYSIA OR EVEN
CONFIDENTAL
SHIPPED