During the past year refugees continued to evacuate from Vietnam
by boat with about 3,300 reaching the shores of
Thailand.
Thai
shelter
while
The
authorities have given these refugees temporary
await
they
transfer to resettlement in third countries.
risks that these refugees undertake of being assaulted by pirates
have been reduced as a result of the Royal Thai Government ́s
Piracy Frevention and Suppression Program with the cooperation of
the office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees
from the year 1982. The project has been renewed annually
previous renechal having been approved in June 1985. The results
satisfactory that the acts of 50
have been
reduced to a clearly noticeable extent.
extended the program for another year.
+
the
piracy have been
The UNHCR therefore, has
However, I must emphasise
here once more that this problem cannot be eliminated altogether
until and unless a solution is attempted and found at the Source
of boat refugees.
Finally,
in the name of the Royal Thai Government, I must express
of the officials and volunteers
to
international
appreciation
organisations and the various charitable organisations which
come here to share Thailand's burden in helping and caring
have
for
endurance,
themselves
refugees for the past eleven years. These officials and
volunteers have made physical sacrifices and devoted
mentally to their work which they have conducted with great
without thought for their own comfort, and with hearts
of mercy and kindness towards the refugees. Carrying
difficult tasks, these officials and volunteers encounter
obstacles but do not submit to them. They are determined to
these obstructions, and they have unfailingly done so.
full
such
Overcome
out
I wish to remind you that if and when You meet with any
difficulty that is beyond your means to handle I am always happy
and prepared to assist in providing recommendations
-7-
or finding