TNAG-1916-FCO40-2720-Accommodation-for-Vietnamese-refugees-in-Hong-Kong-1989 — Page 87

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CONFIDENTIAL

FM HONG KONG

CONFIDENTIAL

HKB 243/30

TO DESKBY 31140OZ FCO

TELNO 1772

OF 31115OZ MAY 89

TOP COPY Q DIST?

INFO IMMEDIATE UKMIS GENEVA, HANOI, PEKING, WASHINGTON

28

OUR TELNO 1747: VIETNAMESE BOAT PEOPLE: ACCOMMODATION

201

142614

MDHIAN 7064

1. ABOUT 100 PEOPLE SPENT LAST NIGHT ON TAI A CHAU (SOKOS). A FURTHER 300 PEOPLE ARE BEING MOVED TO THE ISLAND TODAY (31 MAY). WE HAD HOPED TO BE ABLE TO MOVE SOME OF THESE PEOPLE TO GREEN ISLAND, BUT PROGRESS ON SETTING UP THE TENTED CAMP HAS BEEN SLOWER THAN EXPECTED. THE RESULT IS THAT THE MOVES (SOKOS TO GREEN ISLAND, GREEN ISLAND TO WHITEHEAD) CANNOT TAKE PLACE UNTIL TOMORROW. THIS MEANS THAT ABOUT 400 PEOPLE (PLUS ANY NEW ARRIVALS: THERE HAD BEEN NO ARRIVALS BY 1700 HOURS LOCAL TIME BUT WE UNDERSTAND SEVERAL BOATS ARE EN ROUTE FROM MACAU) WILL SPEND TONIGHT ON TAI A CHAU.

OPTIONS

2. WE HAVE AGAIN REVIEWED OUR ACCOMMODATION OPTIONS IN THE LIGHT OF THE RECENT ARRIVAL PATTERN. THOSE WHICH MIGHT PROVIDE SATISFACTORY ACCOMMODATION AT MINIMAL COST EG TEMPORARY HOUSING AREAS, OR THE FOUR SEASONS BUILDING IN TSUEN WAN, WOULD ALL CARRY SUCH A HEAVY POLITICAL COST IN TERMS OF LOCAL REACTIONS THAT WE ARE NOT/NOT PURSUING THEM. WE HAVE DECIDED ON THE FOLLOWING (LISTED IN PRIORITY ORDER) RESPONSES

TO OUR ACCOMMODATION CRISIS:

I) TENTS. WE HAVE COMMITTED ALL OF THE RECENTLY ARRIVED TENTS TO THE SITE AT WHITEHEAD. THIS WILL GIVE US ABOUT 2000 PLACES. ALTHOUGH TENTS PRESENT SERIOUS DIFFICULTIES IN TERMS OF EVACUATION IN A TYPHOON, WE HAVE CONCLUDED THAT WE SHALL HAVE TO MAKE FURTHER USE OF THEM. WE UNDERSTAND THAT IT WILL NOT/NOT BE POSSIBLE TO GET ANOTHER 100 TENTS FROM THE SAME SUPPLIER AT SHORT NOTICE, AND HAVE NOT BEEN ABLE TO IDENTIFY ANY ALTERNATIVE SOURCE OF SUPPLY. WE MUST THEREFORE ASK YOU TO LOOK AGAIN AT THE POSSIBILITY OF PROVIDING TENTS VERY QUICKLY. WE RECOMMEND THAT THEY BE PROVIDED FROM UK STOCK AND AIR FREIGHTED TO US AS SOON AS POSSIBLE, WITH PEOPLE SLEEPING WITHOUT COVER AT TAI A CHAU WE CONSIDER WE HAVE AN EMERGENCY WHICH WOULD JUSTIFY WITHDRAWAL FROM ODA'S OR MOD'S EMERGENCY RELIEF STOCKS

II) MILITARY SITES. I HAVE ASKED CBF TO CONSIDER AS A MATTER OF URGENCY WHETHER A MILITARY CAMP IN THE NEW TERRITORIES CAN BE

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