1302
CPS 259 UNCLASSIFIED
FM KUALA LUMPUR 120720Z JULY 79
TO PRIORITY FCO
TELEGRAM NUMBER 255 OF 12 JULY
AND TO PRIORITY GOV HONG KONG
1351B)
[HKK 243/1
**
PA H
AND MANILA
INFO PRIORITY UKMIS GENEVA AND UKMIS NEW YORK
BANGKOK JAKARTA SINGAPORE AND HANOI
INFO ROUTINE INFO SAVING
HONG KONG TELNO 942 : REFUGEES FROM VIETNAM IN MALAYSIA
1. FOLLOWING ARE RELEVANT UNHCR FIGURES FOR MALAYSIA :
$
JUNE DEPARTURES
4,535%
1979 ARRIVALS
50,146
1979 DEPARTURES
24,906.
AWAITING RESETTLEMENT AT 31 DECEMBER 1978
49,577.
AWAITING RESETTLEMENT AT 30 JUNE 1979
74,817.
2. UNHCR HAVE ALSO PROVIDED FOLLOWING FIGURES FOR DEPARTURES FOLLOWING FIGURES FOR DEPARTURES
IN 1979 TO:
AUSTRALIA
CANADA
FRANCE
USA
3. REACTING
4.307 3,257
436
15,573.
3. REACTING TO US AND FRENCH CALLS FOR ASEAN COUNTRIES TO CONTINUE TO GIVE BOAT PEOPLE TEMPORARY ASYLUM THE MALAYSIAN FOREIGN MINISTER TENGKU RITHAUDDEEN STATED ON 10 JULY THAT THE QUESTION OF FIRST ASYLUM DOES NOT ARISE IN THE CONTEXT OF MALAYSIA'S POLICY TOWARDS THE REFUGEES. HE SAID THAT IT WAS NOT A QUESTION OF DENYING HUMANITARIAN RIGHTS BUT WHETHER MALAYSIA COULD
/ COPE