TNAG-0889-FCO40-1099-Refugees-from-Vietnam-in-Hong-Kong-Vietnamese-boat-people-1979 — Page 181

CONFIDENTIAL

HKK 243/1

RECEIVED IN REGISTRY NO. 51

IND

- 7 JUN1979

DESK OFFICER

PA

299.6

$9.56

REGISTRY

Action Take-

972

1. I have seen a copy of Mr Munro's minute of 5 June to Mr Simons with Mr Blaker's request for more information about the background to the Vietnamese refugees problem, including the question of whether the Hong Kong Government have given thought to the possi bility of establishing short-term processing facilities on Lantao Island.

2. You should know that back in March, when the Hong Kong Govern- ment realised that they should be making plans to cope with a refugee inflow of 10,000 a month, they carried out a detailed study of all possible sites in Hong Kong where temporary camps could be located. In assessing potential sites, they were guided by the following criteria:

(a) accessibility to water and electricity;

(b) road access;

(c) reasonably flat land;

(d) reasonable drainage;

(e) sites that would not involve substantial clearance or

acquisition proceedings;

(f) sites that had not been earmarked for public purposes or for

Government housing or other development programmes (since the use of such sites would not be acceptable to local public opinion).

3. Using these criteria, the Government concluded at an early stage in their study that if the necessary sites were to be brought into use as early as possible, they would have to be either on the mainland or on Hong Kong Island. The attractions of selecting an outer island site were seriously considered, but it was concluded that the logistical problems of a large camp in such a place, particularly the problems of supply of food and water, and of combatting fire or disease, and maintaining order, would present the Government with an intolerable administrative and financial burden.

4. As a result of this study, the Government identified sites that would provide accommodation for 60,000 refugees. Together with other sites already available, this would provide space for upwards of 80,000 refugees altogether in temporary camps. However, although the Hong Kong Government are prepared to make the sites available and undertake the work involved in constructing the camps, it will be for the UNHCR to meet the costs of building and main- taining the camps. The main problem is that the UNHCR have been curiously reluctant to acknowledge the size of the problem:

in

CONFIDENTIAL

/March