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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
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 9,000 TO 11,500 IN MALAYSIA (TO MAY), AND FROM 8,000 TO OVER 19,000 IN HONG KONG (TO JUNE). AT THE SAME TIME, THE PROSPECTS FOR RESETTLEMENT IN THE WEST HAVE SUBSTANTIALLY
DECLINED, ALONG WITH A WIDESPREAD AND WELL FOUNDED BELIEF THAT
MOST OF THE RECENT ARRIVALS ARE NOT GENUINE REFUGEES. FACED WITH THIS DETERIORATING SITUATION, ALLEGEDLY THE CONSEQUENCE OF A WAR WHICH IN FACT ENDED THIRTEEN YEARS AGO, 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 LIES NOT IN THE WEST BUT IN THEIR OWN COUNTRY VIETNAM.
AGAINST THIS BACKGROUND THAILAND, MALAYSIA AND HONG KONG HAVE EACH CONCLUDED THAT NEW POLICIES ARE REQUIRED. IN THAILAND, NEW ARRIVALS ARE NO LONGER ELIGIBLE FOR RESETTLEMENT AND THE PHANAT NIKHOM HOLDING CENTRE HAS BEEN CLOSED TO NEW ARRIVALS. MALAYSIA HAS INTRODUCED A SYSTEM OF SCREENING, UNDER WHICH THOSE FOUND TO BE ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS WILL BE DETAINED IN CLOSED CAMPS PENDING
THEIR RETURN TO VIETNAM WHEN SUITABLE SAFEGUARDS HAVE BEEN GIVEN
FOR THEIR TREATMENT ON RETURN.
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ALL THIS CONSTITUTES A SERIOUS HUMANITARIAN PROBLEM AFFECTING
VIETNAMESE CITIZENS. THE INTERNATIONAL COMMUNITY HAS DONE ITS
BEST TO MANAGE THE PROBLEM FOR MANY YEARS WITH PATIENCE AND
RESTRAINT. WE BELIEVE THAT THE TIME HAS COME FOR VIETNAM TO PLAY ITS FULL PART IN RESOLVING IT. THE TWELVE URGE THE VIETNAMESE AUTHORITIES TO TAKE EFFECTIVE STEPS TO CONTROL ILLEGAL DEPARTURES AND TO MAKE SUITABLE ARRANGEMENTS TO TAKE BACK ALL THOSE VIETNAMESE WHO ARE FOUND NOT TO BE GENUINE REFUGEES. THE TWELVE
WELCOME VIETNAM'S RECENT DECISION TO DISCUSS THE QUESTION FO REPATRIATION WITH UNHCR AND WITH PLACES OF FIRST ASYLUM IN THE REGION, INCLUDING THAILAND, MALAYSIA AND HONG KONG. IT IS
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