TNAG-1916-FCO40-2720-Accommodation-for-Vietnamese-refugees-in-Hong-Kong-1989 — Page 71

CONFIDENTIAL

FM FCO

TO IMMEDIATE HONG KONG

TELNO 1223

OF 06180OZ JUNE 89

CONFIDENTIAL

HKB 2+3/30

40

163455

MDHOAN 2678

TOP COPY Q DIST?

PERSONAL FOR GOVERNOR FROM PAUL, HKD

YOUR TELNO 1872: VIETNAMESE BOAT PEOPLE: LEI YUE MUN

1.

THIS IS A LITTLE AWKWARD. MINISTERS SPECIFICALLY DECIDED THAT FUNDS SHOULD BE ALLOCATED TO THE LEI YUE MUN PROJECT, WHICH WE UNDERSTOOD TO BE THE OPTION YOU PROPOSED TO PURSUE, SUBJECT TO CONFIRMATION THAT HMG WOULD BE PREPARED TO FUND IT. WE SECURED THE AGREEMENT OF THE TREASURY ON THE BASIS OF THE PARTICULAR MERITS OF THE LEI YUE MUN CASE. MINISTERS CERTAINLY DID NOT DECIDE TO ALLOCATE FUNDS FOR EMERGENCY ACCOMMODATION IN GENERAL. 2. IF WE ARE TO EXPLAIN PLAUSIBLY TO THE TREASURY THAT THE LEI YUE MUN PROJECT IS NO LONGER BEING PURSUED, IT WOULD BE HELPFUL IF YOU COULD IDENTIFY AS SOON AS POSSIBLE A COMPARABLE ALTERNATIVE PROJECT OF ABOUT THE SAME SCALE TO WHICH THE FUNDS COULD BE ALLOCATED. WE SEE IN ANY CASE PRESENTATIONAL ADVANTAGES IF OUR CONTRIBUTION COULD BE RELATED TO A SPECIFIC PROJECT RATHER THAN BE ABSORBED IN A POOL OF FUNDS FOR EMERGENCY ACCOMMODATION GENERALLY.

3. WE HAVE SOME RESERVATIONS ABOUT CONTRIBUTING FURTHER TO A TENTED CAMP. THERE COULD BE LOGISTIC PROBLEMS (THE ODA/MOD WILL HAVE GREAT DIFFICULTY IN IDENTIFYING ANY MORE TENTS OF THE TYPE YOU REQUIRE). WE ALSO FEAR THAT TENTS COULD WELL BE VULNERABLE TO TYPHOONS. WE WOULD PREFER TO CONTRIBUTE TO MORE DURABLE

ACCOMMODATION.

4.

HOWE

GRATEFUL FOR YOUR ADVICE.

YYYY