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Reference..

(e)

would have no choice but to treat these Loatians under immigration rules.

Since 1981 as a consequence of the Anti-Piracy Programme, piracy in the Gulf of Thailand had dropped 70%. They appealed for continuing assistance with the APP.

(f) The Thai Government stressed that

they would continue to provide assistance and temporary refuge to refugees in Thailand but stated firmly that durable solutions to the Indo-Chinese refugees should be found in

resettlement in third countries or in voluntary repatriation.

15. They also dealt with Thailand's record in giving assistance to refugees with attacks on refugee camps and with the closure of the Khao-I-Pang refugee camp.

16. In the afternoon session France was the first to speak. The main points were:

(a) To stress that it was violations of

human rights that led to refugee flows.

(b)

That although war and famine may produce some mass flows most mass exoduses were a result of political oppression.

(c) The need to make a distinction between mandate and economic refugees even

if the distinction was sometimes rather fluid.

(d) The fact that resettlement alone was not a sufficient solution to refugee problems and that in fact resettlement may act as a full factor.

abures &

(e) A restatement of the fact that /human

rights were the cause of refugee problems and that our ultimate objective should be the universal respect for human rights.

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