1
CONFIDENTIAL
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Refugees (UNHCR), is to find sufficient resettlement places
elsewhere for those presently awaiting permanent resettlemen
3
Since 1975 the largest number, of refugees has crossed
overland into Thailand: many of them have since been resettl
elsewhere, but many remain (see table in para 4 below).
refugees are commonly referred to as "land cases".
The
Increasi
numbers, however, have been leaving Vietnam on small fragile
craft or, more recently (bringing a new dimension to the problem), on large freighters specially chartered for the
purpose.
The latter causes considerable alarm in countries
first asylum.
Most of those now leaving by these various me
The Vietnamese Government are clearly
are ethnic Chinese.
involved, with unscrupulous racketeers, in arranging the
exodus of an unwanted minority race (see paras 8 and 9 below
The refugees are fleeced of their possessions and, in
exchange for gold, are allowed the dubious privilege of unde
taking perilous voyages. These refugees are known as "boat
cases" or "boat refugees".
DISTRIBUTION OF THE REFUGEES IN SOUTH EAST ASIA
4 The total of those awaiting resettlement is distributed
as follows (approximate figures at end of 1978):
Country
Thailand
Vietnam
Land Cases
136,000 (Laotians, Cambodians, Vietnamese)
150,000 (Cambodians)
Boat Cases (Vietnamese)
Malaysia
50,000
These could well be repatriated in due course to Cambodia following the change of regime, but are still regarded as refugees by UNHCR.
CONFIDENTIAL
/Hong Kong