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HKD 243/S.
al
115531
MDHOAN 1328
RESTRICTED
FM FCO
TELNO 442
TO DESKBY 29093OZ BONN
OF 281700Z JULY 88
RE
29 JUL 1988
IONS and
AND TO DESKBY 29093OZ COPENHAGEN
TOP COPY a HST ?
INFO PRIORITY OTHER EC POSTS, HANOI, UKMIS GENEVA, HONG KONG
MIPT VIETNAMESE BOAT PEOPLE : DRAFT EC DEMARCHE
1.
TEXT
BEGINS
THE TWELVE WISH TO EXPRESS THEIR CONCERN AT THE CONTINUED WIDESCALE DEPARTURES BY BOAT FROM VIETNAM, THE GREATLY INCREASED NUMBERS OF WHICH HAVE PLACED GREAT BURDENS ON THE COUNTRIES AND TERRITORY IN THE REGION WHICH HAVE RECEIVED THEM. THE PROBLEM DAMAGES VIETNAM'S INTERNATIONAL IMAGE. THE TWELVE
URGE VIETNAM TO ACCEPT RESPONSIBILITY FOR THOSE WHO HAVE LEFT AND TO ADDRESS THE PROBLEM THROUGH CLOSE COOPERATION WITH OTHERS. THE VIETNAMESE BOAT PEOPLE PROBLEM HAS BEEN A SOURCE OF INTERNATIONAL CONCERN FOR MANY YEARS. BUT IN RECENT MONTHS THIS CONCERN HAS INTENSIFIED AS THE SITUATION BEGAN TO DETERIORATE RAPIDLY: SINCE THE BEGINNING OF 1987 THE NUMBERS OF BOAT PEOPLE ARRIVING IN THAILAND, MALAYSIA, AND HONG KONG, THE THREE PRINCIPAL DESTINATIONS, HAVE INCREASED DRAMATICALLY. THE CAMP POPULATIONS HAVE INCREASED FROM 6,300 TO OVER 13,000 IN THAILAND (TO MAY), FROM 9,U00 TO 11,500 IN MALAYSIA (TO MAY), AND FROM 8,000 TO OVER 22,000 IN HONG KONG (LATE JULY). POSSIBILITIES RESETTLEMENT IN THE WEST CANNOT KEEP ABREAST OF THOSE INCREASED NUMBERS OF VIETNAMESE BOAT PEOPLE, WHOSE MAJORITY ARE BELIVED TO BE ECONOMIC MIGRANTS RATHER THAN GENUINE REFUGEES.
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FOR
FACED WITH THIS DETERIORATING SITUATION, ALLEGEDLY THE CONSEQUENCE OF A WAR WHICH IN FACT ENDED 13 YEARS AGO, THE COUNTRIES AND TERRITORY, WHICH IN THE PAST HAVE OFFERED TEMPORARY HAVEN TO THE BOAT PEOPLE PENDING THEIR RESETTLEMENT HAVE BECOME INCREASINGLY FRUSTRATED. THEY TAKE THE VIEW THAT THEY SHOULD NOT BE EXPECTED TO ASSUME THE BURDEN OF SUPPORTING PEOPLE WHOSE FUTURE SHOULD LIE NOT IN THE WEST BUT IN THEIR OWN COUNTRY VIETNAM. AGAINST THIS BACKGROUND THAILAND, MALAYSIA AND HONG KONG HAVE EACH INTRODUCED NEW POLICIES IN THAILAND, NEW ARRIVALS ARE NO LONGER ELIGIBLE FOR RESETTLEMENT AND THE PHANAT NIKHOM HOLDING CENTRE HAS BEEN CLOSED TO THEM. MALAYSIA HAS ANNOUNCED THAT IT WILL CLOSE THE PULAU BIDANG CAMP. HONG KONG HAS INTRODUCED A SYSTEM OF SCREENING, UNDER WHICH THOSE WHO ARE
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