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HKD 243/9
051320
MDHIAN 3889
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FM UKMIS GENEVA
TO IMMEDIATE FCO
TELNO 240
OF 091511Z MAY 89
INFO IMMEDIATE HONG KONG
INFO PRIORITY WASHINGTON, HANOI, PEKING, MANILA
199
YOUR TELNO 957 TO HONG KONG: VIETNAMESE BOAT PEOPLE:
POSSIBLE OVERSPILL CENTRE
1. I CALLED ON HOCKE ON 8 MAY AND EMPHASISED THE SERIOUS SITUATION
IN HONG KONG. I SUGGESTED POSSIBLE USE OF BATAAN AS AN OVERSPILL CENTRE,3EITHER FOR NEW ARRIVALS OR THOSE WITH REFUGEE STATUS, AND ASKED HIM TO INVESTIGATE URGENTLY WHAT ACCOMMODATION MIGHT BE AVAILABLE. IF THERE WAS NO SPARE CAPACITY AT BATAAN, COULD HE SUGGEST ANOTHER LOCATION FOR AN OVERSPILL CENTRE TO FREE SPACE IN
HONG KONG?
•
2. HOCKE SAID HE WAS FULLY AWARE OF HONG KONG'S PROBLEMS AND THE
LATEST FIGURES ON ARRIVALS. HE SHARED OUR CONCERN. VIEIRA DE MELLO
HAD JUST VISITED CHINA AND HONG KONG AND WOULD BE TRAVELLING TO
HANOI. BEFORE DECIDING ON THE NEXT MOVE HE WOULD NEED TO AWAIT VIEIRA DE MELLO'S REPORT ON HIS RETURN. HE DOUBTED, HOWEVER, WHETHER ANY DRAMATIC ACTION WOULD BE POSSIBLE BEFORE THE ICIR, GIVEN THE TIME FACTOR AND THE SENSITIVITIES OF THE ASEAN COUNTRIES INVOLVED.
3. HE LOOKED FORWARD TO DISCUSSING THIS PROBLEM WITH YOU AND THE
PRIME MINISTER ON 15/16 MAY.
SANKEY
YYYY
ΜΑΙΝ
95
DISTRIBUTION
101
.VIETNAMESE BOAT PEOPLE IN HK
LIMITED
HKD
SEAD
UND
NEWS
PS
PS/LORD GLENARTHUR
PS/MR PATTEN ODA
PS MR EGGAR
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