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MDLIAN 3270
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TO PRIORITY HONG KONG
TELNO 1
OF 17101OZ MARCH 88
INFO ROUTINE FCO, KUALA LUMPUR, SINGAPORE,
INFO ROUTINE JAKART, MANILA, UKMIS GENEVA, HANOI
TOP COPY
Q DIST ?
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FROM FRENCH IN BANGKOK
HONK KONG TELNO 4: VIETNAMESE REFUGEES CONTACTS WITH ASEAN.
SUMMARY.
1. THAI OFFICIALS, CLEARLY VERY CONCERNED AT RECENT RENEWED INFLUX OF BOAT PEOPLE FROM VIETNAM, URGE INNOVATIVE THINKING TO DEVISE NEW ARRANGEMENTS TO STOP THE FLOW OF ECONOMIC
MIGRANTS.
DETAIL.
2.
ACCOMPANIED BY WYATT, FIRST SECRETARY AND HEAD OF CHANCERY, I MET OFFICIALS OF THE NATIONAL SECURITY COUNCIL, MINISTRY
OF INTERIOR AND MINISTRY OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS YESTERDAY AFTERNOON (16/3).
THE MEETING WAS CHAIRED BY SUWIT SECRETARY- GENERAL, NSC, WHO SAID THE THAI AUTHORITIES WELCOMED THE OPPORTUNITY TO HAVE AN INFORMAL EXCHANGE OF VIEWS WITH HKG ON THIS ISSUE.
3. SUWIT AND I OUTLINED THE BACKGROUND AND CURRENT SITUATION IN THAILAND AND HONG KONG RESPECTIVELY. IN THAILAND'S CASE THEY NOW HAVE NEARLY 20,000 VIETNAMESE REFUGEES ALL FROM
-
THE SOUTH, 80 PERCENT ETHNIC VIETNAMESE. SUWIT SAID THAT, AS A RESULT OF THE RECENT MASSIVE INFLUX OF BOAT PEOPLE IN THE REGION OF TRAT, THE RTG HAD FELT COMPELLED TO INTRODUCE TOUGHTER MEASURES, INCLUDING QUOTE PUSHING BACK UNQUOTE SOME BOATS AND CLASSIFYING ARRIVALS AS QUOTE LAND PEOPLE UNQUOTE WHO WOULD NOT (NOT) BE MOVED TO THE HOLDING CENTRE AT PANAT NIKHOM AND THUS WOULD NOT (NOT) BE PROCESSED FOR RESETTLEMENT IN THIRD COUNTRIES. HE SAID THAT, IN THE ABSENCE OF ADEQUATE RESETTLEMENT PLACES FOR ALL THE ARRIVALS AND THE NON-AVAILABILITY OF THE OTHER DURABLE SOLUTIONS TO REFUGEE SITUATIONS (LOCAL INTEGRATION, WHICH HE CATEGORICALLY RULED OUT AS FAR AS THAILAND WAS CONCERNED, AND VOLUNTARY
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