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OF 180715Z APRIL 89
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MED 24319
INL
18 APR 1989
INFO PRIORITY UKMIS GENEVA, WASHINGTON, BANGKOK,
161463
MDHIAN 1057
TOP COP
SINGAPORE
INFO PRIORITY KUALA LUMPUR, BANDAR SERI BEGAWAN, HANOI, HONG KONG
151
YOUR TELNO 845 TO HONG KONG
REGIONAL HOLDING CENTRE
1. ACTION TAKEN WITH DEPARTMENT OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS, WHO EXPLAINED THAT THAILAND HAD MOOTED IDEA IN FEBRUARY OF A REGIONAL HOLDING CENTRE AS AN OPTION IF PROGRAMME OF VOLUNTARY REPATRIATION PROVED NOT TO BE VIABLE. THE PRINCIPLE WAS ENDORSED BY ASEAN STATES BUT NOT FOLLOWED THROUGH BECAUSE NO SUITABLE LOCATION HAD PRESENTED ITSELF. INDONESIANS WERE UNAWARE (AND SO WERE OTHER ASEANS ACCORDING TO DFA) THAT PHILLIPINES WERE IN THE RUNNING. IF PHILLIPINES WERE TO MAKE AN OFFER, AND QUESTIONS OF RESPONSIBLITY AND FUNDING SORTED OUT, INDONESIANS WOULD PROBABLY HAVE NO PROBLEM WITH IT. BUT SINCE THIS WAS NEWS TO THEM OUR DFA INTERLOCUTORS WERE UNABLE TO COMMENT ON HOW STRONGLY THEY MIGHT PURSUE THE IDEA.
WHITE
YYYY
ΜΑΙΝ
96
DISTRIBUTION
102
.VIETNAMESE BOAT PEOPLE IN HK
LIMITED
HKD
SEAD
UND
LEGAL ADVISERS
PUSD
ECD (E)
NEWS
PS
PS/LORD GLENARTHUR PS/MR PATTEN ODA
PS MR EGGAR
PS/PUS
MR GILLMORE
MR SLATER
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