CONFIDENTIAL
FM FCO
TO IMMEDIATE UKMIS GENEVA
TELNO 115
OF 08135OZ MAY 89
CONFIDENTIAL
L
HKD 24319
211
046526
MDHOAN 0662
TOP COPY Q DIST ?
INFO IMMEDIATE HONG KONG, WASHINGTON MANILA, PEKING, HANOI
205
HONG KONG TELNO 1448 TO FCO : VIETNAMESE BOAT PEOPLE: OVERSPILL
CENTRE
1.
AS DISCUSSED IN TELECON WALKER/HKD, WE AGREE THAT THE IDEA OF AN OVERSPILL CENTRE SHOULD NOW BE PURSUED. AS A FIRST STEP WE NEED TO KNOW WHAT SPACE MIGHT NOW BE AVAILABLE IN BATAAN, BEARING IN MIND THAT THE RATE OF NEW ARRIVALS IN THE PHILIPPINES MAY SPEED UP THE TRANSFER TO BATAAN OF THOSE ALREADY IN THE PHILIPPINES AWAITING RESETTLEMENT, AND THUS DIMINISH OUR CHANCES OF MAKING SOMETHING OF THIS OPTION (MANILA TELNO 156 REFERS).
2.
GRATEFUL IF YOU WOULD NOW APPROACH UNHCR URGENTLY FOR FURTHER INFORMATION ABOUT FACILITIES AT BATAAN, AND TO FIND OUT WHETHER EXTRA PEOPLE MIGHT BE ACCOMMODATED THERE. YOU SHOULD EXPLAIN THE CURRENT SITUATION IN HONG KONG, AND STRESS THAT WE ARE LOOKING FOR ALL POSSIBLE WAYS OF ACCOMMODATING THE NUMBERS ARRIVING IN HONG KONG. ANY MOVED TO BATAAN COULD BE EITHER NEW ARRIVALS OR THOSE WITH REFUGEE STATUS. YOU SHOULD DRAW ON PARA 3 OF OUR TELNO,957 TO HONG KONG AS NECESSARY.
199-3.
APART FROM BATAAN, YOU MIGHT ALSO ASK ABOUT THE POSSIBILITY OF USING OTHER CENTRES IN THE REGION.
HOWE
YYYY
DISTRIBUTION
101
ΜΑΙΝ
95
.VIETNAMESE BOAT PEOPLE IN HK
LIMITED
HKD
SEAD
UND
LEGAL ADVISERS
PUSD
NEWS
PS
PS/LORD GLENARTHUR PS/MR PATTEN ODA
PS MR EGGAR
PS/PUS
MR GILLMORE
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CONFIDENTIAL