CONFIDENTIAL
United Kingdom Mission
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S T Nash Esq
SEAD
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HKD (M.. hea koj
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UND (M-Tiwan) Home other ( komuch)
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Your reference
FA...243/305/1
Our reference
Date
29 July 1986 ve
FA 243/548/5
(21)
Jow Stopphen.
INDONESIAN POLICY TOWARDS VIETNAMESE REFUGEES
FA 243 1548/562
1. In your teleletter reply of 18 July to UKMis Geneva telno 379 you asked for clarification on the reference which was made to Indonesian hardline policy on arriving Thai and Vietnamese fishing boats. I have now been able to speak with UNHCR's Indonesia desk officer on this point.
2. According to UNHCR it is true that Indonesian policy is to | confiscate all arriving Thai and Vietnamese fishing boats; in fact they are usually sunk. UNHCR confirmed that the crews were often detained but are usually released "after a few months".
3. As far as forcible repatriation goes, UNHCR have no clear evidence of this but they are aware of at least three "push- off" cases where boats are given enough supplies to reach the Malaysian coast.
4. This Indonesian change in attitude occurred for the first time at the start of the year although the Indonesian Government have informed UNHCR's Jakarta office that their policy of asylum has not changed.
cc: Chanceries: Jakarta
Hong Kong
your ever
Chris
C J Dix
RECEIVA
HKK 243/3
2 1 AUG 1986
HK i
fimilar
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