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CONFIDENTIAL
CONFIDENTIAL
FM FCO
TO IMMEDIATE HONG KONG
TELNO 957
OF 041245Z MAY 89
MICD 243/24
AND TO IMMEDIATE UKMIS GENEVA, MANILA
INFO PRIORITY WASHINGTON
INFO ROUTINE HANOI,
PEKING
037677
MDHOAN 0501
MY IPT (NOT TO MANILA): VIETNAMESE BOAT PEOPLE IN HONG KONG:
POSSIBLE OVERSPILL CENTRE
1. OUR TELNO 854 SUGGESTED THAT THE IDEA OF AN OVERSPILL CENTRE SHOULD BE RAISED AT THE COORDINATING COMMITTEE MEETING ON 19-20 APRIL. YOU COMMENTED ON THIS IN PARA 2B OF YOUR TELNO MISC 256 TO UKMIS GENEVA. IN THE EVENT THIS WAS NOT(NOT) DISCUSSED.
2. THE IDEA WE HAD IN MIND WAS THAT IF THE SITUATION
DETERIORATED TO SUCH AN EXTENT THAT YOU COULD NOT ACCOMMODATE ANY MORE NEW ARRIVALS IN AN ACCEPTABLE WAY, THESE SHOULD BE PASSED ON IMMEDIATELY TO AN OVERSPILL CENTRE TO AWAIT SCREENING AND EVENTUAL REPATRIATION/RESETTLEMENT FROM THERE. THERE WOULD BE NO QUESTION OF THESE PEOPLE RETURNING TO HONG KONG AT ANY TIME. 3. IN VIEW OF THE CRISIS NOW FACING HONG KONG WE WONDER THEREFORE THE TIME HAS COME TO APPROACH THE UNHCR WITH AN URGENT REQUEST TO CONSIDER ESTABLISHING AN OVERSPILL CENTRE ELSEWHERE IN THE REGION, POSSIBLY AT BATAAN. IN DOING SO WE SHOULD STRESS TO THE UNHCR:
(A) THE SERIOUSNESS OF THE CURRENT SITUATION IN HONG KONG (B) THE HUMANITARIAN NEED TO ENSURE REASONABLE STANDARDS OF
ACCOMMODATION FOR NEW ARRIVALS
(C) THE FACT THAT PUBLIC OPINION IN HONG KONG IS INCREASINGLY TURNING AGAINST THE CONCEPT OF FIRST ASYLUM FOR VIETNAMESE BOAT PEOPLE, AND THE CONSEQUENT NEED TO IMPLEMENT EFFECTIVE MEASURES TO ENSURE THAT THE PRINCIPLE OF FIRST ASYLUM IS SAFEGUARDED. 4. WE ARE UNDER NO ILLUSION THAT IT WILL BE EASY TO REACH AGREEMENT ON SUCH A CENTRE. BUT SIMPLY TO ASK UNHCR TO CONSIDER
IT SHOULD EMPHASISE TO UNHCR THE VERY SERIOUS SITUATION NOW
FACING HONG KONG.
5.
SUBJECT TO YOUR COMMENTS AND THOSE OF UKMIS GENEVA AND MANILA, WE SHOULD BE GRATEFUL IF UKMIS
GENEVA WOULD APPROACH UNHCR WITH A REQUEST ALONG THE ABOVE LINES. WE WOULD THEN PROPOSE THAT THE ISSUE SHOULD BE RAISED WITH HOCKE
DURING HIS VISIT TO LONDON IN THE WEEK OF 13 MAY.
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