TNAG-1426-FCO40-1909-Vietnamese-refugees-in-Hong-Kong-general-1985 — Page 175

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Laotians have returned, but Lao Government temporarily suspended this during 1984.) UNHCR involvement in the Thai programme suggests that UNHCR accept that all those leaving Indo-China are not strictly

speaking refugees (as was agreed at the 1979 Conference on

Indo-Chinese refugees), but may be economic migrants. Hong Kong Government believe this is true of many Vietnamese arriving there.

Local/Regional Integration

14. Thailand has already indicated that it will not consider

absorbing any more refugees from Indo-China (it has the largest case

load of Indo-Chinese refugees: some 130,000). We should ask Mr

Hartling whether there is any possibility other countries in the

region might take more.

Orderly Departure Programme

15.

Since 1979 we have taken some 2,000 under this programme (for

which we also provide funds: £125,000 in FY 1984-85). A further

2,000 applicants are in the pipeline. We have continuing

difficulties in applications from Vietnamese whose relations in this

country left Vietnam by boat, ie illegally in Vietnamese eyes.

Anne Warburton argued at last October's ODP meeting with the

Vietnamese in Geneva that, given the humanitarian nature of the

programme it should be made available to relatives of boat people.

Thai Anti-Piracy Programme

16.

Dame

At the 22 May donors meeting chaired by Mr Hartling, we

indicated our continuing support for the programme but did not have

authority to pledge a contribution to the 1985/86 budget. This

authority has since been received, and our £75,000 contribution is

being announced at the 4 June informal UNHCR Executive Committee

meeting in Geneva.

17. We are encouraged by evidence of fall in rate of attacks on

refugee boats surviving in Thailand from 53% in 1983 to 36% in 1984;

also at evidence of Thai readiness to arrest and convict those

involved in piracy. We are concerned though at continuing

unacceptably high rate of attacks and particularly at the rise in the rate of killings.

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