CONFIDENTIAL
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044754
MDHIAN 3613
CONFIDENTIAL
FM HONG KONG
TO DESKBY 080800Z FCO
TELNO 1450
OF 080755Z MAY 89
INFO IMMEDIATE KUALA LUMPUR, BANGKOK, SINGAPORE, MANILA, HANOI INFO IMMEDIATE WASHINGTON
YOUR TELNO 966 : VIETNAMESE BOAT PEOPLE : ARRIVALS
THE INFORMATION REQUESTED IN PARAGRAPH 2 OF TUR IS AS FOLLOWS:
A: THE ARRIVAL FIGURES FOR 1989 (AS AT 8 MAY 010OZ) ARE
1988
1989
JANUARY
358
114
FEBRUARY
91
356
MARCH
349
842
APRIL
1381
2918
895
2187 (AS AT 8 MAY)
MAY
B.
EMERGENCY ACCOMMODATION
ALL OF OUR EXISTING VBP CENTRES ARE FULL AND SO ARE THE FOUR FERRIES. WE HAVE ONE MORE FERRY WHICH MIGHT BE USED AND WE ARE NOW DRAWING ON THE COMMANDER BRITISH FORCES' STOCK OF TENTS. WE ESTIMATE THAT THIS STOCK OF TENTS CAN PROVIDE ACCOMMODATION FOR UP TO 2,000 PEOPLE AT VARIOUS LOCATIONS. WE EXPECT TO EXHAUST THIS ADDITIONAL ACCOMMODATION BY THE END OF THIS WEEK.
2.
ALTHOUGH TENTS ARE FAR FROM BEING IDEAL ACCOMMODATION (NOT LEAST
BECAUSE THEY HAVE TO BE EVACUATED IN THE EVENT OF A TYPHOON) IT IS CLEAR THAT WE SHALL HAVE TO USE WHATEVER SUPPLY WE HAVE AVAILABLE.
THE PRESENT STOCK WILL LAST ABOUT ANOTHER WEEK AND IT WILL BE
DIFFICULT TO FIND MORE SUITABLE TENTS LOCALLY. WOULD EITHER MOD OR
ODA MAKE TENTS AVAILABLE TO US ON AN EMERGENCY BASIS? THE MOST
SUITABLE TENT FOR OUR PURPOSE IS THE MOD TENT MARQUEE (GS DOUBLE/J/ 8340/99/942/4590). WE ESTIMATE THAT WE NEED SUFFICIENTS TENTS TO
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