CONFIDENTALI
HKK 243
૧૬:૧
GR S235
CONFIDENTIAL
FM KUALA LUMPUR 050937Z NOV
TO PRIORITY FCO
TELNO 402 OF 5 NOVEMBER
RECEIVED HEAD
S NOW
DESK OFFICI
INDEX
PAST
INFO PRIORITY HONG KONG (FOR GOVERNOR), UKMIS GENEVA, UKMIS NEW YORK, BANGKOK, SINGAPORE, JAKARTA, MANILA, PEKING, HANOI
ANFUGEES FROM VIETNAM IN MALAYSIA
1. UNHCR FIGURES AS AT 31 OCTOBER ARE:
OCTOBER ARRIVALS
OCTOBER DEPARTURES
CASELOAD
968
8,927 42,374.
2. OCTOBER DEPARTURES (CUMULATIVE IN BRACKETS):
AUSTRALIA 661 (12,817)
CANADA
2,317 (19813)
FRANCE
286 (3,446)
FRG
US A
UK
335 (3,092)
3,250 (45,782)
43 (235).
3. COMMENT. ARRIVALS HAVE INCREASED CONSIDERABLY SINCE LAST MONTH
WHEN 570 WERE ADMITTED. INCREASE MAY BE DUE TO RELAXATION OF
MALAYSIAN POLICY OF RETURNING BOAT PEOPLE TO SEA. BREAKDOWN OF
OCTOBER ARRIVALS SHOWS 653 ADMITTED TO CAMPS, 190 PUSHED BACK TO SEA
AND 117 ON BEACHES AWAITING ENTRY TO CAMPS. OF TH 190 RETURNED TO
SEA, UNHCR ESTIMATE THAT MAJORITY WILL RELAND ON MALAYSIAN BEACHES
AND WILL THEN BE ACCEPTED INTO CAMPS. THE MAJORITY OF NEW
ARRIVALS ARE ETHNIC VIETNAMESE.
4. DEPARTURE RATE REMAINS HIGH, PARTICULARLY US TAKEOFF. UNHCR HAVE TOLD US IN CONFIDENCE THAT THEY FEAR THIS MAY NOT CONTINUE FOR MUCH
LONGER SINCE:
A. US VOLUNTARY ORGANISATIONS MAY FACE PROBLEMS IN PLACING REFUGEES
OVER THE CHRISTMAS PERIOD: AND
B. ONCE PROCESSING ARRANGEMENTS FOR REFUGEES FROM INDONESIA IMPROVE
THE US MAY DECIDE TO TAKE A LARGER NUMBER OF REFUGEES FROM THERE. TO
/ KEEP
CONFIDENTAL