36. In spite of the difficulties, there has been only one real delay among DISERO vessels in 1985: a German owned ship flying a Singapore flag which had Taiwan as its next port of call and therefore diverted to the Philippines.
C.
37.
DISERO-type disembarkations in Japan
Disembarkations in Japan from DISERO-type vessels showed a remarkable stability. These disembarkations are noted separately (Annex 4) because they do not fall under the DISERO plan. Refugees with close links in other countries are submitted to those countries and, in general, are accepted. Refugees who cannot meet the criteria for resettlement in other countries are offered asylum in Japan.
D.
38.
Others
The most dramatic increase in rescue activity occurred in the "Others" category. In 1984, 9 disembarkations were noted of 469 refugees; 1985, 21 disembarkations were noted of 1,319 refugees. As has already been pointed out, figures for "Others" are not reliable in the same way as figures in the other three categories; the extent of the increase is so great, however, that it requires examination.
39. Four of the 21 disembarkations were made from mercy ships which delivered 520 refugees to the Philippines. Also of note was one Korean and one "DISERO-type" vessel which together disembarked 123 refugees in Korea, and one South African ship which rescued 13 refugees and kept them on board until its next port of call, which was Cape Town. The remaining majority of the "Others" refugees were rescued by small local vessels, mostly fishing boats.
40.
Not included in the "Others" category are the great number of acts of humanitarian assistance, most frequently the towing of refugee boats to shore, undertaken by local fishing boats within territorial waters, and sometimes by military forces or rescue teams of various Southeast Asian countries. Also not included within these figures are an unknown number of refugees, rescued by ships flying flags of various countries, deposited on oil rig platforms. All refugees within the "Others" category are treated as direct arrivals, i.e. they are not resettled under RASRO or DISERO.
IV.
CHANGING PATTERNS OF REFUGEE EXODUS AND RESCUE
41. It has already been noted that refugee arrivals have declined by 10% over the year 1984 - 1985. The assumption is that departures and number of refugees on the sea has declined to an equivalent extent. Also noted is the decline in refugee boat size. Calculating on a base of the grand total of disembarkations and numbers rescued (Annex 4), refugee boat size can be said to have decreased from 41 per boat to 34 per boat. (This is rescued refugee boat size)
42.
Such differences in the pattern of refugee exodus occurring over the course of only one year, indicate the need for a system of data adjustment if a realistic picture of change in the rescue at sea situation is to be obtained.
43. There are limits to such an adjustment system and these limits are very soon reached. It would be an almost impossible task to compare realistically the years
1979 and 1985. The situation has changed too much. In 1979 and 1980, it was not unusual for large ships to rendez-vous with refugees off the coast of Vietnam, or to leave from Vietnam itself with 2-4,000 people on
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