ANIR
2431
24)
Mr Donald
PS/LPS
PS
Mr. McQuade
Mr. Williams
D/18/2
PIRACY AGAINST VIETNAMESE BOAT PEOPLE
Hkk 243/1
I
No
сае
513
AP" 13
seat
Problem
1.
How to reply to Mr Haig's letter of 8 February to the Secretary of State, requesting an increased UK contribution to the UNHCR's appeal for contributions to finance anti- piracy patrols by the Thai Government.
B
NIR.
Abbriched
Recommendation
2. I recommend that we double our initial contribution
from £55,000 to £110,000 (about $200,000). ODA concur.
3. I submit a draft reply from the Secretary of State to
Mr Haig.
Argument and Background
4. Reports continue of repeated and vicious attacks by local fishing boats and pirates on four out of every five boatloads of Vietnamese refugees reaching Thailand, and half of those reaching Malaysia. The attacks, occurring predominantly outside Thai or Malaysian jurisdiction, involve robbery (of the significant amounts of gold carried), multiple rape, abduction of females, and on occasion murder, sinking vessels and drowning of passengers.
5.
In 1981 the US provided $2 million to cover the cost of spotter aircraft and a patrol boat for the Royal Thai Navy. The UNHCR and ICRC have recently appealed for $3.6 million to finance a small follow-up programme. We have received two requests from the High Commissioner for
/refugees
1
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