CONFIDENTIAL
TOP COPY Q DIST ?
588
CONFIDENTIAL
FM HONG KONG
TO IMMEDIATE FCO
TELNO 2906
OF 020645Z AUGUST 88
HKD 243/8
RECEIVE
-2 1988
FFICER
MA
・ONSI
INFO PRIORITY PEKING, HANOI, UKMIS GENEVA
(587
YOUR TELNO 2007: VIETNAMESE BOAT PEOPLE.
·
125366
MDHIAN 9096
THE TOTAL CLOSED CAMP POPULATION ON 2 AUGUST WAS 20,500 OF WHICH, 6945 HAVE ARRIVED SINCE 16 JUNE. (WE HAVE A FURTHER 2657 IN OPEN
CAMPS) THIS IS AN AVERAGE DAILY ARRIVAL RATE SINCE 16 JUNE OF 147
WHICH HAS PLACED A SEVERE STRAIN ON OUR STAFFING AND ACCOMMODATION
RESOURCES. WE ESTIMATE THAT BY THE END OF AUGUST THE TOTAL NUMBER
OF ARRIVALS SINCE THE INTRODUCTIONS OF THE NEW POLICY WILL BE APPROXIMATELY 10,000 AND THE TOTAL CLOSED CAMP POPULATION WILL BE OVER 23,000.
2. AS REGARDS MANPOWER THE CIVIL AID SERVICES AND CORRECTIONAL
SERVICES ARE ALREADY STRETCHED AND UNABLE TO TAKE ON ADDITIONAL CAMP STAFFING COMMITMENTS. FOR THE RUNNING OF ERSKINE CAMP, A NEW HOLDING CENTRE WHICH HAS BEEN PREPARED AS A MATTER OF SOME URGENCY AND OPENED ON 30 JULY, WE ARE THEREFORE USING A MIX OF REGULAR AND AUXILIARY POLICE. WE ESTIMATE THAT WE HAVE SPARE CAPACITY TO ACCOMMODATE APPROXIMATELY 2,000 NEW ARRIVALS WHICH AT THE PRESENT RATE WOULD LAST ABOUT 14 DAYS. IN ADDITIONAL WE CAN ACCOMMODATE UP TO 2000 ON FERRIES BUT IN THE EVENT OF A TYPHOON WE WOULD HAVE TO MOVE THESE PEOPLE TO ALREADY OCCUPIED SECURE SITES. WE ARE THEREFORE
PREPARING CONTINGENCY PLANS FOR ADDITIONAL EMERGENCY HOLDING
CAPACITY AND CONSIDERING THE NEED TO DEVELOP A NEW LARGE SCALE
HOLDING CENTRE. A NUMBER OF SITES HAVE BEEN IDENTIFIED FOR THE NEW
HOLDING CENTRE BUT THE WORK WILL TAKE A MINIMUM OF 4 6 MONTHS
AND AT THIS EARLY STAGE WE ESTIMATE THAT THE COST WILL BE IN THE
ORDER OF DOLLARS 100 DOLLARS 120 MILLION. WE WOULD HAVE TO
SEEK APPROVAL FOR THESE FUNDS FROM THE FINANCE COMMITTEE AND I
THINK WE CAN EXPECT SOME RESENTMENT FROM MEMBERS.
3. WE HOPE TO BE IN A POSITION TO MAKE A DECISION ON THE NEW LARGE SCALE HOLDING CENTRE WITHIN THE NEXT WEEK OR SO BUT IN THE MEANTIME
WE WILL PRESS ON WITH PLANS TO ESTABLISH EMERGENCY HOLDING
FOR NEW ARRIVALS. WE WILL OF COURSE KEEP YOU INFORMED OF DEVELOPMENTS.
CAPACITY