TNAG-1916-FCO40-2720-Accommodation-for-Vietnamese-refugees-in-Hong-Kong-1989 — Page 39

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Mw Haɔi, kapu

1. cp. NW Haswell, MKD +

Nakavou,

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54

Mr Perrik / Wits Harper

BRITISH EMBASSY

JI Thamrin 75 Jakarta 10310

Cable Prodiome Jakarta Telex 46166 Telephone 330904

My not

A Godson Esq

HK B

243/30

SEAD

Cal

FCO

London

Dear Tory

Your reference

Our reference

Date 26 July 1989

VISIT TO PULAU GALANG REFUGEE CENTRE, 18 JULY

разд

(PLEANG Meck we

haveil already pad

сай

1. As you will be aware from Jakarta telno 347 I visited Pulau Galang Vietnamese refugee camp on 18 July during a duty trip to Riau province. Galang has been used to house refugees since 1979 and despite the continued presence of 40 local families it has become a self-contained island whose communications with its many neighbouring islands in Riau are carefully controlled. The only means of transportation is a daily UNHCR-chartered boat from Tanjung Pinang.

2.

a

I was received by Galang's Commandant Let Col Tisna Arifin who explained that he had only 10 staff, all on 3- month assignments from local police units. They wore neither guns nor uniforms and did little more than mingle with the Vietnamese watching for signs of unrest. There had hardly even been any trouble however. The provision of living quarters, food, medical and educational facilities was entirely the concern of UNHCR.

3. There are essentially 2 camps on Galang; an established site with comfortable living-quarters and good medical facilities for the (as of 17 July) 1665 pre-17 March arrivals and a more makeshift set of ramshackle buildings for the 2809 post- 17 March arrivals Galang has seen better days; the numbers of refugees reached a high of over 27000 in 1981 (but there has been a net surplus of departures for each of the last 7 years) and rotting dis-used accommodation scars the landscape. Although the Indonesians are concerned at the recent numbers of arrivals in Galang they have a ready capacity to accommodate several times the present number of refugees. A third camp is being refurbished to accommodate those "screened-in" as refugees over the coming month.

pt the refurbished accommodate

AIS

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4. The pre-17 March arrivals spend their days in 'warungs'

(tea stalls) run by Vietnamese, awaiting news of their acceptance by a re-settlement country. There are a number of difficult cases, including 23 physically or mentally handicapped refugees, and 56 unaccompanied minors. These two groups account

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