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SO FAR THIS YEAR BY 22 GROUPS), BUT THE NUMBER OF SEVERE CRIMES COMMITTED AGAINST THE BOAT PEOPLE WAS INCREASING. OF THE 16 SEVERE INCIDENTS REPORTED SO FAR THIS YEAR, FOUR ALONE HAD LED TO 145 PEOPLE REPORTED MISSING. MOST OF THE INCIDENTS HAD BEEN OCCURRING OUTSIDE THAI TERRITORIAL WATERS. THE UNHCR CONSIDERED THAT THIS FACT PROVIDED FURTHER JUSTIFICATION FOR CONCENTRATING THEIR RESOURCES ON POLICE ACTIVITY ON LAND.
4. THE FUNDING PROPOSALS FOR 1989-90 ARE VERY SIMILAR TO THOSE FOR PREVIOUS YEARS AND REQUIRE LITTLE ELABORATION. THE MARINE POLICE HAVE ESTABLISHED SINCE SEPTEMBER 1988 INVESTIGATIVE INTELLIGENCE UNITS AT ALL FOUR OF THEIR SUB-DIVISIONS. THIS HAS PRODUCED EVIDENCE THAT BOATS FROM PORTS NEAR BANGKOK HAVE BEEN INVOLVED IN PIRACY INCIDENTS. IT HAD PREVIOUSLY BEEN BELIEVED THAT MAINLY BOATS FROM THE SOUTHERN PROVINCE OF SONGKHLA WERE INVOLVED. ONE NEW ELEMENT IN THE BUDGET IS PROVISION FOR THE PUBLIC PROSECUTORS DEPARTMENT. UNHCR SAID THAT THE DEPARTMENT HAD BEEN EXTREMELY HELPFUL TO THE PROGRAMME GIVING CASES OF PIRACY A HIGH PRIORITY AND THEY WANTED TO ENCOURAGE CONTINUING CO-OPERATION.
5. JAMBOR ACKNOWLEDGED THAT IF THE CPA SUCCEEDS HE WOULD HOPE TO SEE THE FLOW OF VIETNAMESE BOAT PEOPLE REDUCED TO A TRICKLE. THERE WOULD THEN CLEARLY BE A NEED TO REASSESS THE REQUIREMENT FOR AN ANTI-PIRACY PROGRAMME. HOWEVER, HE DID NOT EXPECT THIS TO HAPPEN IN THE IMMEDIATE FUTURE. IT WOULD BE LOGICAL TO INCLUDE THE
ANTI-PIRACY PROGRAMME IN WHATEVER PROCESS OF REVIEW MIGHT BE SET UP BY THE ICIR.
SIGNED.. AN GEORGE
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