4. AS WE POINTED OUT, WE WERE NOT ABLE TO DISCOVER ANY REFUGEE WHO HAD RECEIVED ANY OF THE SEVERE PUNISHMENT WHICH WE WERE TOLD WAS BEING METED OUT. WE ACCEPT THAT THIS MIGHT NOT IN PRACTICE BE HAPPENING. BUT WHAT IS IMPORTANT IS THE REFUGEES PERCEPTION OF WHA IS HAPPENING. THIS IS A DIFFICULT AREA BECAUSE WE CANNOT DIFFERENTIATE BETWEEN WHAT THEY FEAR MIGHT HAPPEN AND WHAT THEY TELL US MIGHT HAPPEN IN ORDER TO JUSTIFY THEIR DEPARTURE.
5. WE PRESUME THAT YOUR COMMENTS AT PARAGRAPHS 1(D), 1(E) AND 1(F) IN YOUR TLUR REFER TO PARAGRAPHS 4(E), 4(F) AND 4(G) IN OUR TELNO 1970.
6. AGAIN WE ACCEPT WHAT YOU SAY ABOUT MOVEMENT INTO AND OUT OF CAMBODIA. BUT AGAIN IT IS THE PERCEPTION OF THOSE WHO COME HERE WHICH IS IMPORTANT.
7. THANK YOU FOR YOUR CLARIFICATION ON THE CURRENCY CHANGE. ALTHOUG THE DEPRECIATION WAS NOTHING LIKE 90 PER CENT, PRICES HAVE RISEN DRAMATICALLY AND THIS DOES SEEM TO BE A CONTRIBUTORY REASON FOR THE DEPARTURE OF SOME REFUGEES.
8. THANK YOU FOR YOUR CLARIFICATION OF THE DAMAGE CAUSED BY TYPHOONS. AGAIN EITHER DELIBERATELY OR BECAUSE THE STORY HAD GROWN IN THE RE-TELLING, WE HAD BEEN LED TO BELIEVE THAT THERE WERE MANY OTHER DEATHS.
9. THE MAJOR OBJECTIVE OF OUR INTERVIEWS WAS TO DETERMINE WHETHER THE SLIGHT INCREASE IN RESETTLEMENT FROM HONG KONG HAD PROVOKED MORE DEPARTURES FROM VIETNAM. WE ARE REASONABLY SATISFIED THAT THIS IS NOT THE CASE. WE WERE ALSO INTERESTED TO DISCOVER WHETHER PERSECUTION (ALONG THE LINES OF THE UNHCR'S DEFINITION) WAS TAKING PLACE. AGAIN WE ARE REASONABLY SATISFIED THAT THERE ARE NO SIGNS OF THIS. EVEN WITH YOUR CORRECTIONS, THE PICTURE WHICH EMERGES IS ONE OF A GROUP OF PEOPLE DISSATISFIED WITH CONDITIONS IN THEIR COUNTRY AND SEEKING TO IMPROVE THEM ELSEWHERE.
10. WE WOULD BE GRATEFUL IF YOU COULD CONTINUE TO LET US HAVE YOUR OBSERVATIONS ON CONDITIONS IN VIETNAM, PARTICULARLY IN SO FAR AS THEY RELATE TO ILLEGAL DEPARTURES.
SIGNED K. J. WOODHOUSE
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HMLNAN 2831
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