TNAG-1796-FCO40-2556-Hong-Kong-Vietnamese-refugees-repatriation--including-Opera-1988 — Page 173

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CONFIDENTIAL

026473

MDHIAN 1756

DORMITORIES AT HEI LING CHAU FROM DUSK UNTIL DAWN. WE DO NOT

OPERATE THIS PRACTICE ELSEWHERE: IT SIMPLY REFLECTS THE FACT THAT

THE CONDITIONS AT HEI LING CHAU HAVE BEEN TENSE. IN THE VIEW OF

THE CENTRE'S MANAGEMENT THIS ACTION WAS NECESSARY IN THE IMMEDIATE

AFTERMATH OF THE TROUBLE IN THE CAMP. WE ARE CONTENT TO AGREE THAT

THE PRACTICE CAN BE DISCONTINUED ONCE THE TENSIONS EASE.

12. SECTION D COVERS THE LIBERALISATION OF THE CLOSED CENTRES. WE

HAD PREVIOUSLY STATED THAT WE WOULD START THE PROCESS OF LIBERAL-

ISATION DURING THE FIRST HALF OF 1989 BUT OUR PRESENT THINKING IS

THAT WE OUGHT TO MOVE MORE QUICKLY ON THIS. EXCO AGREED ON 23

AUGUST TO AN ARRANGEMENT WHEREBY THE CHILDREN AT THE SAN YICK CLOSED

CENTRE WILL BE ABLE TO LEAVE THE BUILDING TO ATTEND SCHOOL. THIS

WAS A FIRST STEP. A FURTHER PAPER WILL BE PUT TO EXCO NEXT WEEK ON

THE PROGRESSIVE LIBERALISATION OF THE CLOSED CAMPS IN SITU (CAPE

COLLINSON EXCEPTED, WHERE THE LOCATION OF THE CAMP MAKES THIS IMPOSSIBLE). WE SHALL HAVE TO CHART A CAREFUL COURSE ON THIS

BEACUSE OF LOCAL REACTIONS. BUT WE ACCEPT THE PRINCIPLE OF

LIBERALISATION AND WE ARE DOING NO MORE HERE THAN ESTABLISH AN

EARLY START DATE AND A FEW OF THE PRACTICAL GROUND RULES.

•

13. THE UNHCR ARE NOT PREPARED TO TAKE OVER SAN YICK AS AN OPEN

CENTRE AND THERE WILL CLEARLY BE LIMITS TO ANY IN SITU LIBERALI-

SATION. NONETHELESS, WE FEEL THAT SOME PROGRESS CAN BE MADE HERE

AND THE UNHCR ARE PREPARED TO CO-OPERATE BY PROVIDING SERVICES TO

THE REFUGEES. WE ARE CONSIDERING THE OPTIONS AVAILABLE FOR MOVING

REFUGEES FROM SAN YICK TO OTHER ACCOMMODATION. I DO NOT THINK THAT

WE CAN PLAN ON SAN YICK AS A LONG TERM OPTION CONDITIONS IN THERE

ARE LIKELY TO BECOME INCREASINGLY A FOCUS FOR INTERNATIONAL

CRITICISM OF THE 16 JUNE CHANGE OF POLICY. THERE IS NO OBVIOUS

SHORT TERM SOLUTION OTHER THAN MORE RAPID LIBERALISATION (ALTHOUGH

THAT WILL FACE LOCAL POLITICAL OBJECTION IN TUEN MUN) BUT WE ARE

CONSIDERING A SCHEME FOR THE REMOVAL OF THE 4200 SAN YICK

RESIDENTS TO ALTERNATIVE ACCOMMODATION BY THE END OF THIS YEAR.

WE WILL KEEP YOU INFORMED AS OUR PLANS DEVELOP.

•

14. PARAGRAPH D(3) RECORDS OUR AGREEMENT WITH THE UNHCR ON THE

COSTS ASSOCIATED WITH THE PLANNED NEW OPEN CENTRE AT TUEN MUN AREA 64A.

COMMENT

15. WE HAVE BEEN DISCUSSING THESE ISSUES INTENSIVELY WITH THE UNHCR

FOR THE PAST TWO WEEKS. ALTHOUGH SOME OF THE CONCESSIONS WHICH THEY

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CONFIDENTIAL