CONFIDENTIAL
FM HONG KONG
TO DESKBY 08080OZ FCO
TELNO 1447
OF 080745Z MAY 89
CONFIDENTIAL
нко 2431244
044747
MDHIAN 3612
POP CL Q DIST 7
INFO PRIORITY WASHINGTON, UKMIS GENEVA, PEKING, HANOI, MANILA
(3
OUR TELNO 1424 AND MANILA TELNO 155: OVERSPILL CENTRE
1. WE HAVE GIVEN FURTHER THOUGHT TO THE IDEA OF AN OVERSPILL CENTRE FOLLOWING THE ASSESSMENT IN SECOND TUR. THE BATAAN CAMP IS IN ESSENCE A RESETTLEMENT STAGING POST. IT IS UNDERSTANDABLE THAT THE PHILIPPINES GOVERNMENT MAY BE RELUCTANT TO SEE IT TURNED INTO A REGIONAL HOLDING CENTRE. AN IDEA THEY MIGHT FIND MORE PALATABLE WOULD BE TO USE BATAAN AS AN OVERSPILL CENTRE FOR REFUGEES (REPEAT REFUGEES) AT PRESENT AWAITING RESETTLEMENT FROM HONG KONG. IF WE WERE ABLE TO TRANSFER SAY 5000 REFUGEES FROM HONG KONG TO BATAAN TO AWAIT RESETTLEMENT THIS WOULD HAVE A SIGNIFICANT EFFECT ON OUR PRESENT ACCOMMODATION PROBLEMS. WE WOULD FOR INSTANCE BE ABLE TO TRANSFER THE REFUGEES AT PRESENT IN SHAM SHUI PO CAMP AND USE IT AS A DETENTION CENTRE FOR BOAT PEOPLE.
2. GRATEFUL IF YOU COULD GIVE THE IDEA URGENT CONSIDERATION.
WILSON
YYYY
ΜΑΙΝ
96
DISTRIBUTION
102
.VIETNAMESE BOAT PEOPLE IN HK
LIMITED
HKD
SEAD
UND
LEGAL ADVISERS
PUSD
ECD (E)
FED
NAD
NEWS
PS
PS/LORD GLENARTHUR
PS/MR PATTEN ODA
PS MR EGGAR
PS/PUS
MR GILLMORE
MR SLATER
MR MCLAREN
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CONFIDENTIAL