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y Enter
(157
Άκου
British Embassy
of of Mr weeks, HKDV Mos ingeth, BAN
DDA
My father, EAD,
ODA
BANGKOK
15 September 1986
Mr Whitehead,
french sapt
R V Court Esq
SEAD
FCO
Dear Robart,
Mo Heber,
Home Office
3/ Mr Adans to
VISIT TO THAILAND BY THE UNITED NATIONS HIGH COMMISSIONER FOR ~, p. REFUGEES
Summary
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1. Mr Hocké visited Thailand from 3 to 7 September. He called on HRH the King, and had meetings with the Prime Minister, Foreign and Interior Ministers, Supreme Command and Squadron Leader Prasong Soon- siri (now the Prime Minister's Secretary-General). The High Commissioner also toured the UNHCR camps at Baan Na Pho, Nakhon Panom and Khao I Dang. The visit went well, with Mr Hocké having made a good impression on the Thais. But there were no new developments, although UNCHR detected a softening in the Thai determination to close Khao I Dang, and some grounds for optimism on repatriation of Laotians not sidered eligible for refugee status in Thailand. UNHCR officials raised their concerns with Thai opposite numbers, on a likely deter- ioration in rates of resettlement of Vietnamese refugees. Detail
2. The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, Mr Jean-Pierre Hocké visited Thailand from 3 to 7 September. His hectic programme afforded him an opportunity to meet all the major Thai players in- volved in dealing with refugees. During Mr Hocke's call on him, Prime Minister Prem Tinsulanonda urged UNHCR to help revitalise world concern for Indochinese refugees. Prem told Hocké that Thailand was worried at signs of "compassion fatigue" illustrated by the slow pace of current refugee resettlement: resettlement countries had increasingly restricted acceptance of Indochinese refugees. In reply Hocke is reported to have promised to raise Thai concerns with world leaders.
3. UNHCR have told us that in discussions with Prasong (who, when Secretary-General of the National Security Council had originally put forward Thai proposals for closing Khao I Dang) they detected a softening of attitude. Although resettlement from Khao I Dang this year is expected to be only some 4000-5000, well below Thai expec- tations before reconsidering closure threats, Prasong agreed to a further meeting with UNHCR and major resettlement countries in November to review his decision.
4. In his meetings with both the Interior Minister, General Prachuab Suntrangkoon and Foreign Minister Siddhi Savetsila, Hocké pledge con- tinued UNHCR assistance to the Thai government over the 127,000 Indo- chinese refugees. Given Prachuab's newness in the job, Hocke's meeting with him was, according to UNHCR officials here, little more than an exchange of courtesies. But with Siddhi there was a wider discussion focussing on the projected closure of Khao I Dang, and the repatriation programmes for Laotian refugees. On the former, Siddhi is reported by UNHCR officials here to have maintained that the camp would almost certainly be closed at the end of the year. On the latter issue, one of the UNHCR officials travelling with the High Commissioner was
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