TNAG-1916-FCO40-2720-Accommodation-for-Vietnamese-refugees-in-Hong-Kong-1989 — Page 92

CONFIDENTIAL

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MDHIAN 6739

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CONFIDENTIAL

FM HONG KONG

TO IMMEDIATE FCO

TELNO 1735

OF 29110OZ MAY 89

INFO IMMEDIATE UKMIS GENEVA, WASHINGTON

INFO PRIORITY HANOI, PEKING, TOKYO, CANBERRA, OTTAWA

INFO PRIORITY PARIS, UKMIS NEW YORK, ASEAN POSTS

MIPT: VIETNAMESE BOAT PEOPLE: ACCOMMODATION PRESSURE IN HONG KONG

1

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THE OPTIONS WE HAVE OUTLINED IN MIPT FOR DEALING WITH THE IMMEDIATE EMERGENCY HERE ARE FAR FROM IDEAL. THEY ARE ONLY SUSTAINA- BLE FOR A SHORT TIME. MAKESHIFT TENTED ACCOMMODATION ON ROUGHT GROUND IN THE HOT SUMMER MONTHS IS GOING TO MAKE FOR UNPLEASANT LIVING CONDITIONS.

2. WE NOW NEED TO CONSIDER WHAT FURTHER RELIEF MAY BE POSSIBLE IN THE MEDIUM AND LONG TERM, TAKING ACCOUNT OF THE LIKELY OUTCOME OF THE ICIR: THAT ANY EARLY SLOW DOWN IN DEPARTURES FROM VIETNAM IS UNCERTAIN OR IMPROBABLE: AND THAT MANDATORY REPATRIATION, IF ACHIEVABLE, WILL ONLY COME AFTER SEVERAL MONTHS DELAY.

ΤΟ

3. IN THESE CIRCUMSTANCES I BELIEVE THAT MUCH MORE WEIGHT NEEDS

BE PUT BEHIND THE VARIATIONS ON THE IDEA OF A REGIONAL HOLDING CENTRE (RHC). THE SIMPLE FACT IS THAT THE MOST IMMEDIATE RELIEF FOR HONG KONG'S ACCOMMODATION PROBLEMS COULD BE ACHIEVED BY ALLOWING US TO DECANT VBP TO A TRANSIT STATION ELSEWHERE IN THE REGION. FROM OUR POINT OF VIEW THE BEST ARRANGEMENT WOULD BE AN OVERSPILL CENTRE FOR NEW ARRIVALS OR FOR THE SCREENED-OUT, BUT A CENTRE FOR REFUGEES AWAITING RESETTLEMENT COULD CERTAINLY HELP, SINCE WE COULD MOVE NEW ARRIVALS INTO ACCOMMODATION VACATED BY REFUGEES.

4 I REALISE THAT THE REACTIONS THAT WE HAVE HAD TO THE RHC IDEA HAVE SO FAR BEEN DISCOURAGING. BUT GIVEN THE IMPORTANCE OF THE IDEA I SUGGEST THAT WE FOLLOW UP WITH ASEAN GOVERNMENTS, PARTICULARLY WITH THE PHILIPPINES, TAKING ACCOUNT OF MANILA TELNO 186 AND THE MORE HOPEFUL ASSESSMENT IN UKMIS GENEVA TELNO 301. CAN WE ALSO CONSIDER WAYS IN WHICH THE UNHCR CAN BE BROUGHT ON SIDE ON THIS SUBJECT? WE NEED TO MAKE CLEAR TO THEM EVEN MORE FORCEFULLY THAN HAS BEEN DONE SO FAR THAT THE OPTIONS FOR ACCOMMODATION IN HONG KONG ARE VIRTUALLY AT AN END.