A TALENTED Vietnamese musician sought by London's Royal Academy of Music will be forced to fly from Hongkong to a Philippine refugee camp this week, scotching his chance to study in Britain. Nguyen Trong Phuong, 20, one of the few specialists in the free bass accordion, is being sent to Bataan camp from where Britain rarely resettles Vietnamese boat people. This is despite the Royal Academy's keen interest and an offer of sponsorship from former Hongkong residents. Although Trong Phuong continued to practise yesterday, he spoke of his fear of losing the opportunity to study and teach in Britain. ''I think it is a great chance for me and I aim to return in some years to Vietnam to use my talents and training,'' he said. Trong Phuong fled to Hongkong in 1989 while his parents were under house arrest and after his father, a musician and playwright, was persecuted for collaborating on an anti-communist play. He welcomed the chance to study music again when Ms Brigitte Cummings began the detention centre music programme in 1990. It was during his time at the High Island centre that a taped performance of his music was sent to the Royal Academy. Free bass accordion instructor at the academy, Professor Owen Murray, said in a letter dated January 14: ''It is my belief that his talent and obvious ability will never be realised unless he receives an education in the instrument in Britain.'' Dr Thomas Myerscough and his wife, Marie, who worked with Vietnamese musicians in Hongkong camps before leaving the territory, last week offered to sponsor Trong Phuong and are lobbying the British home office and Immigration Department to intervene. The Myerscoughs and Professor Murray urged that he be allowed to resettle from Hongkong. But Government Refugee Co-ordinator Mr Brian Bresnihan said exceptions could not be made. He confirmed Britain did not select refugees for resettlement from the Philippines. He promised, however, to write to the British Embassy there about Trong Phuong if he received written information on his case. Mrs Cummings said she feared the talented musician would be put ''at the bottom of the heap''.
