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FM KUALA LUMPUR
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TELNO 216
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133105
MDLIAN 2704
OF 26085OZ APRIL 88
INFO PRIORITY HONG KONG, BANGKOK, MANILA, SINGAPORE,
INFO PRIORITY BANDAR SERI BEGAWAN, JAKARTA, UKMIS GENEVA, HANOI
31
MY TELNO 209: VIETNAMESE REFUGEES
SUMMARY
1. MALAYSIAN DECISION TO CLOSE PULAU BIDONG REFUGEE CAMP TO BE IMPLEMENTED ONLY AFTER CONSULTATIONS WITH OTHER INTERESTED
PARTIES. DECISION PROBABLY LARGELY THE RESULT OF INTERNAL POLITICAL
PRESSURES. NO TIMESCALE YET FOR CLOSURE OF CAMP BUT REFUGEE
ARRIVALS CERTAIN TO INCREASE.
DETAIL
2.
THE DECISION TO CLOSE PULAU BIDONG HAS MADE HEADLINES IN THE
MALAYSIAN PRESS FOR THE PAST FEW DAYS. THERE IS SOME CONFUSION AS TO THE EXACT POLICY OF THE GOVERNMENT, BUT UNHCR HERE TELL US THAT THE PLAN IS TO INITIATE INTERNATIONAL DISCUSSION ON THE REFUGEE
PROBLEM WITH ALL AFFECTED PARTIES: ONCE NEGOTIATIONS ARE CONCLUDED
MALAYSIA WILL PREVENT ANY FURTHER REFUGEE ARRIVALS (DEPUTY
PRIME MINISTER AHAFAR BABA HAS SAID QUOTE WE WILL SHOO THEM OFF UNQUOTE, THOUGH OTHER MINISTERS HAVE NOT BEEN SO SPECIFIC), AND THE REFUGEE CAMP AT PULAU BIDONG WILL CLOSE WITHIN A YEAR. DR
MAHATHIR HAS STATED THAT MALAYSIA WILL PROVIDE AN ALTERNATIVE PLAN
FOR THE REFUGEES BEFORE CLOSING THE CAMP SINCE THIS WAS QUOTE
NOT AS EASY AS OPENING AND CLOSING A DOOR UNQUOTE.
3. UNHCR HERE TELL US THE ANNOUNCEMENT OF CLOSURE OF THE CAMP
TOOK NOT ONLY THEM, BUT ALSO THE MFA, BY SURPRISE. THEY BELIEVE THAT THE DECISION IS LARGELY THE RESULT OF INTERNAL
POLITICAL PRESSURES ON DR MAHATHIR. TENGKU RAZALEIGH, THE PRIME MINISTER'S CHIEF POLITICAL RIVAL, HAS A SIZEABLE SUPPORT IN NORTHERN
TRENGGANU AND THE RETURN OF PULAU BIDONG TO THE STATE OF TRENGGANU
AN ISSUE WHICH HE COULD EXPLOIT. THIS WOULD EXPLAIN WHY THE ANNOUNCEMENT TO CLOSE THE CAMP WAS MADE BY DATUK DR YUSOFF NOOR, MINISTER IN THE PRIME MINISTER'S DEPARTMENT AND MP FOR A CONSTITUENCY IN THE NORTH OF TRENGGANU, AND NOT BY THE FOREIGN MINISTER.
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