CODE 18-77
Mr Brown
Mr Doble
Separate copies to:
Mr McQuade, HK & Gen Dept
Mr Roberts, UN Dept
Mr Newton, SEAD
INDOCHINESE REFUGEES
1.
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The last Background Brief in the attributable FCO series was produced in January 1980. Another one was attempted in June 1981 but issue was dropped as SEAD considered the timing was inopportune.
2. It would seem that while there has been a diminishing number of boat people seeking asylum in SE Asian countries of "first refuge", the resettlement rate in third countries has dropped too. The Thai problem still appears serious, particularly as there are some 200-300,000 Cambodians on the border awaiting acceptance.
3.
China has become the first Asian Communist country to ratify the UN Refugee Convention of 1951 and its 1967 protocol (only Yugoslavia has done so in the rest of the Communist bloc) while the Philippines remains the only country in SE Asia to ratify the instruments.
4.
I would be grateful to know whether you think a Background Brief summarising the general situation is worth exploring at this stage.
29 October 1982
লিকম
W J Dixon
Information Department G133/4
233 5252