CONFIDENTIAL
MKD 243/22
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044455
MDHIAN 3571
TOP COPY
DIST 7
CONFIDENTIAL
FM KUALA LUMPUR
TO DESKBY 08073OZ FCO
TELNO 256
OF 08030OZ MAY 89
INFO PRIORITY HONG KONG, BANGKOK, JAKARTA, SINGAPORE INFO PRIORITY MANILA, HANOI, WASHINGTON
13
YOUR TELNO 966 TO HONG KONG: VIETNAMESE BOAT PEOPLE
MALAYSIAN ARRIVALS
1. COMPARABLE ARRIVAL FIGURES OF 1987 AND 1988 (SEE OUR TELNO 247 FOR 1989) ARE
1987
1988
JAN
346
763
FEB
323
432
MAR
1033
1726
APR
865
1904
MAY
1092
2434
13316
TOTAL FOR YR 8030
2. POST CUT OFF DATE ARRIVALS ARE BEING PUT ON PULAN BIDONG, APPARANTLY (THOUGH IT IS HARD TO SEE HOW THIS COULD BE DONE) SEPERATED FROM EARLIER ARRIVALS. THIS IS NOT IDEAL BUT LOCAL POLITICAL PRESSURE HAS ENSURED THAT SO FAR NO NEW RECEPTION CENTRE ON MALAYSIAN EAST COAST HAS BEEN AGREED. WE HAVE NOT HEARD OF ANY NEW BUILDING PROGRAMME ON PULAU BIDONG TO ACCOMODATE THESE NEW ARRIVALS. THIS WOULD RUN COUNTRE TO THE LONG STANDING MALAYSIAN GOVERNMENT INTENTION TO CLOSE BIDONG. HOWEVER 3000 PLUS LONG STAYERS HAVE RECENTLY BEEN MOVED TO THE TRANSIT CAMP IN SUNGEI BESI (NEAR KL) TO EASE CONGESTION ON BIDONG.(WHICH ALREADY HAS TWICE THE PLANNED NUMBER OF OCCUPANTS). SOME EXTRA ACCOMODATION IS APPARANTLY BEING BUILT IN SUNGEI BESI.
3. OUR INFORMATION IS LIMITED BECAUSE, AS SEAD WILL HAVE ADVISED, MALAYSIAS MAJOS HOLIDAY FALLS ON 8 AND 9 MAY. UNFORTUNATELY TUR RECEIVED 10 MINUTES AFTER GOVERNMENT OFFICES CLOSED AT MIDDAY SATURDAY 6 MAY
SPRECKLEY
1
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