ད་གདག་ན་་་་་
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NOTE FOR THE FILE
CR 23/4821/79
Introduction
On Monday 31st March, 1980 I visited the Vietnamese Boat People's Refugee camp at Khao Sung, Thailand, accompanied by Police Major General Pingpan and his wife. It was the General's first visit. (I had to go from Phuket to Haad Yai by air because the presence of Communist and separatist guerillas makes road travel unsafe).
Location
2.
The camp is situated beside the sea on the Gulf of Thailand in a rather dusty, hot, flat, arid area about 100 kms north of the Malaysia border. There are some casuarina trees about. The camp is fenced but open on one side to the sea, When we arrived at 2.00 p.m. several hundred refugees were bathing. The camp is about 4 kms from any village but there are odd houses around and what seemed like a factory building close by.
Policy
3. It is Thai Government policy to accept refugees, but obviously without enthusiasm. The refugees are under the care and maintenance of UNHCR, though I could not discover whether UNHCR meets all costs. Refugees get 3 meals a day, a fact resented by the Thais because this is more than villagers can afford in rural areas. Because there is rural unemployment refugees are not allowed to work and their camp is deliberately sited away from habitation, There was however quite a thriving daily market outside the camp gate where the refugees (who receive remittances from overseas) supplement their rations (provided by a contractor). Some, too, have small retail stalls inside the camp.
Divisions of Responsibility
4.
The camp is guarded by the Royal Thai Police (which have a token presence of about 6), is under the control of the Minister of the Interior, is administered by the Governor of Songkhla (an M. of I. official), has a UNHCR rep who maintains a "presence", but in practice is self administered by the refugees who are made responsible for all internal administration. A former South Vietnamese Col. who spoke excellent English took us round. He said he was in charge. Although our visit had been planned and arranged in advance, the Police were taken by surprise at our arrival and the UNHCR expatriate official only arrived towards the end of it. On arrival, large numbers of refugees congregated around us.
Buildings
5.
The camp buildings comprise a guardhouse (outside the perimeter), an admin. block used as a hospital, 6 wooden huts with asbestos roofs housing 200 each, electric lighting, fresh and brackish water for drinking and washing respectively, and a loudspeaker system. (Whilst I was in Thailand UNHCR was advertising tenders for the construction of barrack and other camp buildings elsewhere). In between the semi-permanent
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