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077175
MDTTAN 7935
THERE MAY BE AS MANY AS 30,000 VIETNAMESE IN CAMBODIA WAITING TO ENTER THAILAND BY THIS ROUTE. WHILE THIS IS OBVIOUSLY A VERY GREAT EXAGGERATION, IT IS PERHAPS NOT UNREASONABLE TO BELIEVE THAT THERE MAY BE POTENTIALLY THIS NUMBER IN THE PIPELINE.
6. THE AMERICANS, AND THE AUSTRALIANS (WHO HAVE ALSO EXPRESSED THEIR GENERAL CONCERN ABOUT THIS SITUATION TO THE THAIS) HAVE TOLD US THAT THEY CAME UNDER NO PRESSURE TO TAKE MORE REFUGEES. THE THAIS ARE WORRIED AT THE EFFECT SUCH ACTION MIGHT HAVE IN ENCOURAGING MORE VIETNAMESE TO COME, IE. THE QUOTE MAGNET EFFECT OR PULL FACTOR UNQUOTE. THE CANADIANS HAVE BEEN TOLD BY THE THAI AUTHORITIES THAT THE IDEA OF INTRODUCING CLOSED CAMPS, ALONG THE LINES OF THOSE IN HONG KONG IS NOW ACTIVELY BEING CON- SIDERED. THE THAIS HAVE COMMENTED THAT CLOSED CAMPS SEEM TO WORK FOR HONG KONG IN KEEPING ARRIVAL NUMBERS DOWN (EXCLAM). THE CANADIANS WERE TOLD THAT THE THAIS HOPED TO DISCUSS CLOSED CAMPS WITH REPRESENTATIVES FROM THE HONG KONG GOVERNMENT SHORTLY.
THE AMERICANS HAVE SOUGHT TO ENCOURAGE THE INTERNATIONAL COMMUNITY TO DISCRETELY LOBBY THE THAIS FOR CONTINUED HUMANITARIAN TREATMENT OF THENE REFUGEES. WHILE SUMPATHETIC TO THE THAI DILEMMA, THE U.S. GOVERNMENT HAS BEEN FORCED BY ITS DOMESTIC LOBBY TO
RAISE THIS ISSUE BOTH HERE AND IN WASHINGTON AT A HIGH LEVEL. THE UNHCR OFFICE HERE HAVE ECHOED U.S. CONCERNS, BUT HAVE SOUGHT TO MAINTAIN A LOW PROFILE ON THIS ISSUE.
COMMENT
8.
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THE SPECTRE OF AN EVER INCREASING NUMBER OF VIETNAMESE
REFUGEES AND THE THREAT THEY BELIEVE THIS REPRESENTS TO NATIONAL SECURITY, HAS FORCED THE THAIS TO TAKE MUCH TOUGHER ACTION. HOW- EVER, THEY ARE TRYING TO DISCOURAGE ARRIVALS IN AS HUMANITARIAN WAY AS POSSIBLE, CONSISTENT WITH ACHIEVING THEIR AIMS. THE NET RESULT APPEARS TO BE A CHANGE IN TACTICS BY THE SMUGGLERS BRING- ING THE REFUGEES FROM CAMBODIA, RATHER THAN A DECLINE IN DEPARTURE RATES. THE THAI AUTHORITIES HAVE ALSO SOUGHT TO CRACK
DOWN ON CORRUPT THAI OFFICIALS BELIEVED TO BE INVOLVED IN THE SMUGGLING OF REFUGEES: FOUR SENIOR OFFICIALS HAVE BEEN TRANS- FERRED.
9.
THE THAIS ARE LIKELY TO CONTINUE WITH THEIR POLICY OF PUSH-BACKS, AND TO INCREASINGLY TURN TO. ALTERNATIVE WAYS OF STEMMING THE FLOW OF REFUGEES. CLOSED CAMPS AND SCREENING OF
NEW ARRIVALS ARE LIKELY TO BE PUT FORWARD BY THE THAIS AS WAYS
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