RESTRICTED
17D
165603
MDHIAN 1239
HI-AN
RESTRICTED
FM MANILA
TO DESKBY 19113OZ FCO
TELNO 137
OF 19080OZ APRIL 89
MPH.
MID 24319 нко
Q
DIGT ?
AND TO PRIORITY UKMIS GENEVA, BANGKOK, SINGAPORE, KUALA LUMPUR, AND TO PRIORITY JAKARTA, HONG KONG, BANDAR SERI BEGAWAN, HANOI
FOR HONG KONG DEPT
YOUR TELNO 845 TO HONG KONG: REGIONAL HOLDING CENTRE
1.
845
THE KEY OFFICIAL DEALING WITH VIETNAMESE REFUGEES AT THE DEPARTMENT OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS (DFA), ANTONIO MANGUIAT, IS IN GENEVA. WE THEREFORE DISCUSSED THE IDEA OF A REGIONAL HOLDING CENTRE (RHC) WITH AMBASSADOR TOLENTINO, OFFICE OF ASIAN AND PACIFIC AFFAIRS AND REY KATAPONG, LEGAL DIVISION AT THE DFA.
2.
THE PHILIPPINE GOVERNMENT, ALTHOUGH NOT OPPOSED IN PRINCIPLE TO THE CONCEPT OF AN RHC, ARE CURRENTLY FIRMLY
AGAINST THE IDEA THAT IT MIGHT BE LOCATED IN THE PHILIPPINES.
AMB TOLENTINO DID NOT HOWEVER TOTALLY RULE OUT THE POSSIBILITY OF THIS POSITION BEING 'REFINED' AT SOME UNSPECIFIED FUTURE DATE, BUT WOULD NOT BE DRAWN FURTHER.
3. ACCORDING TO HER, THE QUESTION OF AN RHC HAS BEEN DISCUSSED INFORMALLY WITH ASEAN COLLEAGUES, BUT NO ONE HAS SUGGESTED DIRECTLY THAT THE PHILIPPINES MIGHT BE THE 'HOST' COUNTRY, NOR DO THE PHILIPPINE GOVERNMENT HAVE ANY INTENTION OF
VOLUNTEERING.
PRIESTLEY
YYYY
ΜΑΙΝ
96
DISTRIBUTION
102
.VIETNAMESE BOAT PEOPLE IN HK
LIMITED
HKD
SEAD
NEWS
PS
PS/LORD GLENARTHUR
PS/MR PATTEN ODA
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