TNAG-1916-FCO40-2720-Accommodation-for-Vietnamese-refugees-in-Hong-Kong-1989 — Page 79

CONFIDENTIAL

HKB 243/30.

Темя Ассам 34,

155227

MDHIAN 7536

CONFIDENTIAL

FM HONG KONG

TO DESKBY 05090OZ FCO

TELNO 1830

OF 05050OZ JUNE 89

INFO IMMEDIATE UKMIS GENEVA, WASHINGTON

YOUR TELNO 1178 : VIETNAMESE BOAT PEOPLE

TOP COPY Q DIST ?

THERE HAVE BEEN 822 ARRIVALS OVER THE WEEKEND BRINGING THE TOTAL FOR THE YEAR TO 15458 AND FOR JUNE TO 2030. ALL ARRIVALS OVER THE WEEKEND HAVE BEEN TAKEN TO TAI A CHAU AND THERE ARE NOW 2030 PEOPLE ON THE ISLAND.

4.

THE HUNGER STRIKE PROTEST AT WHITEHEAD ENDED ON 4 JUNE. CONDITIONS IN THE CAMP HAVE QUICKLY RETURNED TO NORMAL AND WE ARE NOW PLANNING TO MOVE 500 PEOPLE FROM GREEN ISLAND TO WHITEHEAD ON 5 JUNE. THIS WILL ENABLE US TO MOVE 500 PEOPLE FROM TAI A CHAU TO GREEN ISLAND ON THE SAME DAY. WE SHALL CONSIDER MOVING A FURTHER 500 PEOPLE TO WHITEHEAD LATER IN THE WEEK AND WE EXPECT TO BE ABLE

TO MOVE UP TO 1000 PEOPLE TO THE LO WU CAMP BEFORE THE END OF THE WEEK. WE HAVE HAD TO CUT A FEW CORNERS ON THE LO WU PROJECT BUT WE SHOULD HAVE IT READY FOR OCCUPTATION WITHIN A FEW DAYS. A FURTHER 2000 PLACES WILL BECOME AVAILABLE AT WHITEHEAD STAGE 2(A) WITHIN THE

NEXT 10 DAYS.

3. IT IS DIFFICULT TO ESTIMATE THE LIKELY LEVEL OF ARRIVALS DURING

JUNE BUT WE BELIEVE THAT WE MUST PLAN ON THE BASIS OF AT LEAST THE MAY LEVEL. THIS SUGGESTS THAT WE CAN EXPECT AT LEAST 9,000 ARRIVALS IN JUNE BUT IT MIGHT BE AS HIGH AS 15,000. WE ARE THEREFORE PRESSING AHEAD WITH PLANS TO ESTABLISH A NEW CAMP USING THE TENTS

WHICH WE HOPE WILL BE ARRIVING IN HONG KONG WITHIN THE NEXT FEW DAYS. THE NEW CAMP WILL BE SITED ON A PART OF THE SEK KING AIRSTRIP AND, IF SUFFICIENT TENTS CAN BE MADE AVAILABLE, WE ESTIMATE THAT THIS NEW CAMP COULD ACCOMMODATE UP TO 7000 VBP.

4. IF THE FIRST BATCH OF 90 TENTS ARRIVES THIS WEEK WE SHOULD BE ABLE TO ESTABLISH THE FIRST STAGE OF THE NEW CAMP FOR ABOUT 3000 PEOPLE BEFORE NEXT WEEKEND. IT IS CLEAR HOWEVER THAT WE WILL NEED THE ADDITIONAL 50 TENTS AS QUICKLY AS POSSIBLE AND IF WE ARE TO USE

THE SEK KONG SITE TO ITS FULL POTENTIAL WE ESTIMATE THAT WE SHALL NEED A FURTHER 200 TENTS. WE REALISTE THAT THIS MIGHT CAUSE YOU SOME DIFFICULTY AND WE ARE THEREFORE FOLLOWING UP AN APPROACH MADE BY

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CONFIDENTIAL