TNAG-1972-FCO40-2805-Hong-Kong-Vietnamese-refugees-repatriation-1989 — Page 4

CONFIDENTIAL

MED 24319

053067

MDHIAN 3959

CONFIDENTIAL

FM MANILA

TO

IMMEDIATE FCO

TELNO 162

OF 10020OZ MAY 89

AND TO IMMEDIATE HONG KONG, UKMIS GENEVA

INFO IMMEDIATE WASHINGTON, HANOI, PEKING

(211)

FCO TELNO 115 TO UKMIS GENEVA: VIETNAMESE BOAT PEOPLE:

OVERSPILL CENTRE

1.

THE US EMBASSY HERE, WHO ARE CLOSELY INVOLVED WITH THE BATAAN CAMP (99% OF THE OCCUPANTS WILL BE RESETTLED IN THE US) HAVE TOLD US THAT THERE ARE 2 FIGURES FOR THE CAPACITY OF THE CAMP. IN TERMS OF ACCOMMODATION AND AMENITIES, THE MAXIMUM IS 16,200 PEOPLE, WHILST THE ACTUAL TRAINING PROGRAMMES CAN CATER TO 18,000. CURRENT POPULATION IS APPROX 17,000, AND THE US ESTIMATE THIS WILL REACH 19,000 BY AUGUST.

2.

HOWEVER, THE US EMBASSY THINK THAT THE PHILIPPINE GOVERNMENT MIGHT BE AMENABLE TO TURNING AN ABANDONED PENAL CAMP IN PALAWAN INTO ANOTHER REFUGEE CAMP. LIKELY STRINGS ATTACHE WOULD

BE:

A)

NO FINANCIAL COST TO THE PHILIPPINE GOVERNMENT:

B) FIRM GUARANTEES OF RESETTLEMENT FOR ALL OCCUPANTS:

C) NOT UNDER UNHCR AUSPICES (THERE IS A CERTAIN AMOUNT

OF FRICTION BETWEEN THE UNHCR RESIDENT REPRESENTATIVE AND

THE PHILIPPINE REFUGEE PROCESSING CENTER):

D) THE PHILIPPINE GOVERNMENT WOULD HAVE ABSOLUTE CONTROL OVER

THE CAMP.

OF THESE FOUR CONDITIONS, A) AND B) WOULD BE NON-NEGOTIABLE.

MACINNES

YYYY

PAGE 1 CONFIDENTIAL