TNAG-1423-FCO40-1906-Vietnamese-refugees-in-Hong-Kong-general-1985 — Page 44

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LOCAL INTEGRATION

WE HAVE MADE IT CLEAR THAT WE CONSIDER LOCAL INTEGRATION

WITHIN SOUTH EAST ASIA TO BE PREFERABLE TO RESETTLEMENT IN

WESTERN INDUSTRIAL SED COUNTRIES AND WE ARE CONTINUING TO PRESS

THAT THIS SHOULD BE ONE OF THE SOLUTIONS TO THE PROBLEM OF THE

UNRESETTLED RESIDUE IN HONG KONG AND ELSEWHERE. THE PROBLEM IS

THAT THE FIRST ASYLUM COUNTRIES SUCH AS THAILAND FEEL JUSTIFABLY

THAT THEY HAVE ALREADY BORNE THEIR SHARE OF THE BURDEN. You

WILL BE AWARE THAT THAILAND HAS UST RECEIVED A FURTHER WAVE OF

CAMBODIAN REFUGEES AS A RESULT OF WETNAMESE ATTACKS. IN AUGUST

THE THAI AUTHORITIES RULED OUT FURTHER LOCAL INTEGRATION IN

THAILAND EVEN FOR THOSE IN THAI CAMPS, CONCLUDING THAT THERE

WAS NO OTHER OPTION FOR REFUGEES IN THAILAND THAN RESETTLEMENT

IN THIRD COUNTRIES OR REPATRIATION TO THEIR COUNTRY OF ORIGIN.

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