CONFIDENTIAL
CONFIDENTIAL
HKD 243/8
RECT
TO PRIORITY FCO
FM HONG KONG
TELNO 2974
OF 081015Z AUGUST 88
(AMENDED DISTRIBUTION)
INDE
PA
TO
VIETNAMESE BOAT PEOPLE
Ap
ROUNDUP
ARRIVALS
W626
146403
MDLIAN 8423
!
1988
en
ON 8 AUGUST THE TOTAL CLOSED CAMP POPULATION WAS 20,531 OF WHICH 7,249 HAD ARRIVED SINCE 16 JUNE. THE FIRST WEEK IN AUGUST SAW A FALL IN THE AVERAGE DAILY ARRIVAL FIGURES TO 63...... PER DAY. IT IS TO
BE HOPED THIS REPRESENTS THE START OF A LOWER TREND BUT IT MIGHT
SIMPLY REFLECT THE FACT THAT WEATHER CONDITIONS FOR THE VOYAGE HAVE
BEEN UNFAVOURABLE OVER THE LAST 10 DAYS.
A CCOMMODATION
2. WE ESTIMATE THAT WITH THE OPENING OF THE SAN YICK BUILDING AND
ERSKINE CAMP WE NOW HAVE SUFFICIENT SPARE CAPACITY IN THE HOLDING
CENTRES FOR APPROXIMATELY 1,757 NEW ARRIVALS. AT THE LOWER RATE OF ARRIVALS SINCE 1 AUGUST THIS REPRESENTS CAPACITY FOR ABOUT 4 WEEKS
ARRIVALS. WE ARE DEVELOPING SHORT TERM CONTINGENCY PLANS TO MEET ANY UPSURGE.
3. FOR THE LONGER TERM WE HAVE DECIDED TO SEEK APPROVAL FROM THE
FINANCE COMMITTEE FOR FUNDS TO BUILD A NEW DETENTION CENTRE ON A SITE
KNOWN AS WHITEHEAD NEAR MA ON SHAN IN THE SHA TIN DISTRICT. THE
SITE HAS A TOTAL USABLE AREA OF 33 HECTARES WHICH WE ESTIMATE WOULD BE SUFFICIENT TO ACCOMMODATE ABOUT 20,000 PEOPLE. ON THE ASSUMPTION THAT THERE ARE NO SITE DIFFICULTIES WE PLAN TO DEVELOP IT IN PHASES AND HOPE TO HAVE THE FIRST TWO PHASES (2,400 PEOPLE PER PHASE) READY FOR OCCUPATION IN 3 MONTHS.
SCREENING
4. WE HAVE COMPLETED THE SCREENING OF ABOUT 600 VBPS BUT THE PEOPLE
CONCERNED HAVE NOT YET BEEN INFORMED. SO FAR THE SCREEING PROCEDURES
HAVE IDENTIFIED NO GENUINE REFUGEES. WE SHALL HAVE ACCOMMODATION
AVAILABLE FOR THESE SCREENED-OUT PEOPLE AT THE CHI MA WAN UPPER CAMP
BY THE END OF THIS WEEK AND WE PLAN TO MOVE THEM IN THE FOLLOWING
WEEK. THEY WILL BE INFORMED OF THE SCREENING RESULTS AFTER THEY
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CONFIDENTIAL
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