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MALAYSIAN GOVERNMENT'S POLICY
16. The Malaysian Prime Minister has made clear that while his
Government will adopt firm measures towards further arrivals by
boat people, the measures will not include shooting. When it
was reported that there might be shooting, the Government
appealed strongly to the Malaysians to meet the crisis humanely.
CAMBODIAN REFUGEES IN THAILAND
17.
My hon Friend, the Minister of State for Foreign and
Commonwealth Affairs conveyed to the Thai Ambassador on
13 June an expression of the Government's concern at reports
that the Thai Government was, forcibly repatriating refugees to
Cambodia.
Thousands of refugees were sent back, but the
repatriation has stopped.
POLICY TOWARDS PEOPLE RESCUED AT SEA
18. As my rt hon Friend the Home Secretary stated on 11 June in
another place, we shall honour our international obligations in
accordance with the Convention on Safety of life at Sea. These
obligations require masters of British ships to assist those in
distress at sea. I cannot give a commitment that such people
would be accepted into this country irrespective of the
circumstances.