(1770)
UNCLASSIFIED
RY SINGAPORE 1897132 OCT 79
O ROUTINE FCO
TELNO 372 OF 19 OCT
AND TO ROUTINE GOV HONG KONG
HKK 2431
RALJIVED IN MAKAY NO. 51
INFOR ROUTINE KUALA LUMPUR, JAYARTA, BANGKOK MANILA WASHINGTON UHIS GENEVA, UKMIS NEW YORK.
MIDSX
AND SAVING TO PEKING AND HANOI (FCO PSE PASS)
VIETNAMESE REFUGEES IN SINGAPORE: SEPTEMBER
1. AWAITING ACCEPTANCE OR DEPARTURE ON 31 AUGUST 1267
ARRIVED DURING SEPTEMBER: 1304
DEPARTED DURING SEPTEMBER:
AUSTRALIA: 57
BRAZIL: 26
BELGIUM : 30
PA
CANADA : 4
DENAMRK : 79
FRANCE: 125
GERMANY: 23
HOLLAND 3 88
USA: 111
TOTAL 543
AWAITING ACCEPTANCE OR DEPARTURE ON 37 SEPT: 2728
CUMULATIVE ARRIVALS IN 1979 3853, CUMULATIVE DEPARTURES IN 1979 :
1827.
2. COMMENT. THE TREND OF INCREASED ARRIVALS WHICH STARTED IN JULY
HAS CONTINUED, WITH THE FIGURES FOR SEPTEMBER SHOWING THE LARGEST MONTHLY ARRIVAL RATE SO FAR (TWICE THE FIGURE FOR AUGUST)
a
?
135 REFUGEES WERE BROUGHT TO SINGAPORE BY THE AUSTRALIAN MERCY'
SHIP, THE AKUNA, BUT THE OTHERS WERE ALL RESCUED BY MERCHANT SHIPS, TYPICALLY IN BOATLOADS OF BETWEEN 20 AND 67, ALTHOUGH IN SOME CASES OVER 100 AT A TIME. UNHCR DO NOT HAVE STATISTICS ABOUT THEIR BACK- GROUNDS, BUT ON PAST FORM THE MAJORITY ARE PROBABLY ETHNIC VIETNAMESE
FROM SOUTH VIETNAM, THEY HAVE NOT HEARD OF ANY INVOLVEMENT OF
VIETNAMESE OFFICIALS IN THEIR DEPARTURE, THE RISE IN ARRIVALS SINCE
JULY IS NOT NECESSARILY DUE TO INCREASED DEPARTURES FROM VIETNAM:
IT IS POSSIBLE THAT MALAYSIA'S TOUGHER POLICY ON LANDINGS HAS INDUCED
REFUGEES LEAVING UNDER THEIR OWN STEAM TO MAKE FOR THE SHIPPING
LANES WHERE THEY HAVE A GOOD CHANCE OF BEINGPICKED UP BY SINGAPORE- BOUND VESSELS. THE VERY LARGE INCREASE THIS MONTH DOES HOWEVER SUGGEST SOME INCREASE IN DEPARTURES (SEE KUALA LUMPUR TEL 352 TO
FCO).
13.