CONFIDENTIAL
FM HONG KONG
TO DESKBY 30123OZ FCO
TELNO 1749
OF 301125Z MAY 89
CONFIDENTIAL
HKB 243/4
15
137275
MDHIAN 6874
TOP COPY @ DIST ?
INFO IMMEDIATE UKMIS GENEVA, WASHINGTON, HANOI, PEKING INFO PRIORITY CANBERRA, OTTAWA, PARIS, UKMIS NEW YORK, SINGAPORE INFO PRIORITY KUALA LUMPUR, BANGKOK, BANDAR SERI BEGAWAN INFO PRIORITY JAKARTA, MANILA
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MY TELNOS 1733 TO 1735:
VIETNAMESE BOAT PEOPLE
OVER 860 MORE BOAT PEOPLE ARRIVED YESTERDAY. SO FAR TODAY (AT 1700 LOCAL TIME) WE HAVE HAD A FURTHER 760. MORE BOATS ARE EXPECTED. THAT MAKES OVER 2300 IN THREE DAYS. WE HAVE RUN OUT OF IMMEDIATELY AVAILABLE ACCOMMODATION. MOST OF TODAY'S ARRIVALS
WILL HAVE TO BE KEPT OVERNIGHT BEACHED IN THEIR OWN BOATS ON AN OUTLYING ISLAND. (FULLER REPORT BY SEPARATE TELEGRAM).
2. I WILL BE REVIEWING THE ACCOMMODATION OPTIONS URGENTLY TOMORROW. ALSO POLICY OPTIONS. I MUST WARN THAT, IF THE INFLUX CONTINUES AT ITS PRESENT RATE AND NO RELIEF IS IN SIGHT, OUR PRESENT POLICY WILL BECOME UNSUSTAINABLE BY THE TIME OF THE GENEVA CONFERENCE.
3. EXCO WERE BRIEFED ON THE CURRENT SITUATION THIS MORNING. MEMBERS OF THE COUNCIL EXPRESSED GRAVE CONCERN BOTH ABOUT PRACTICAL ASPECTS OF THE PROBLEM AND COMMUNITY REACTION TO IT. MR ALLEN LEE, SENIOR MEMBER OF LEGCO, EMPHASISED HIS ASSESSMENT THAT THE FINANCE COMMITTEE OF LEGCO WOULD BE UNWILLING TO VOTE FURTHER FUNDS UNLESS AND UNTIL MEASURES WERE CLEARLY IN HAND TO BRING THE PROBLEM UNDER CONTROL.
4. MEMBERS OF EXCO UNANIMOUSLY ASKED ME TO PASS A MESSAGE TO HMG, AND THE PRIME MINISTER PERSONALLY, TO SAY THAT HONG KONG NOW FACED A SERIOUS CRISIS WHICH REQUIRED URGENT ASSISTNACE FROM THE UK. ONE MEASURE WHICH COULD BE TAKEN WOULD BE TO ESTABLISH VERY QUICKLY A HOLDING CENTRE FOR THE 14,300 VIETNAMESE CLASSIFIED AS REFUGEES NOW IN HONG KONG. THIS WOULD RELIEVE SOME OF THE PRESSURE ON HONG KONG AND PROVIDE SPACE FOR THE LARGE NUMBER OF PEOPLE NOW ARRIVING. IF NO SUCH HOLDING CENTRE COULD BE SET UP QUICKLY IN SOUTH EAST ASIA OR SOUTH CHINA, MEMBERS OF EXCO ASKED THAT HMG SHOULD CONSIDER PROVIDING A HOLDING CENTRE IN THE UK: SINCE ALL
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CONFIDENTIAL