TNAG-1791-FCO40-2551-Hong-Kong-Vietnamese-refugees-repatriation--including-Opera-1988 — Page 239

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FM LON COREU

TO BON COREU ROUTINE

INFO ALL COREU ROUTINE

CPE/LON 68

10.02.1988: 1115Z HRS

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057736

MDLOAN 1894

DIFFUSION RESTREINTE

ASIA WORKING GROUP, 17-18 FEBRUARY

REF CPE/LON 59

1.

THE UNITED KINGDOM'S WISH TO DISCUSS THE PROBLEM OF REFUGEES

IN SOUTH EAST ASIA HAS BEEN REINFORED BY RECENT REPORTS FROM

BANGKOK OF A NEW HARD LINE BEING ADOPTED BY THE THAI AUTHORITIES.

2. THE BRITISH EMBASSY IN BANGKOK HAS BEEN TOLD BY THE THAI

INTERIOR MINISTRY THAT LOCAL OFFICIALS HAVE BEEN ORDERED TO ESCORT BOATS CARRYING VIETNAMESE REFUGEES OUT OF THAI WATERS, AND THAT THAILAND INTENDS TO INTRODUCE SIMILAR MEASURES TO SEND LAO

A SYLUM SEEKERS BACK ACROSS THE MEKONG.

3.

11,195

11,195 VIETNAMESE BOAT PEOPLE ARRIVED IN THAILAND IN 1987, THE HIGHEST RATE SINCE 1981. THIS SEEMS TO HAVE PROMPTED THE

CHANGE OF POLICY. OTHER COUNTRIES IN THE REGION ARE ALSO

SUFFERING FROM INCREASED INFLUXES. 3395 BOAT PEOPLE ARRIVED IN HONG KONG IN 1987, THE HIGHEST TOTAL FOR FIVE YEARS, AND A FURTHER 358 IN JANUARY 1988 ALONE. INCREASINGLY NEW ARRIVALS ARE CONSIDERED ECONOMIC MIGRANTS AND NOT THEREFORE CONSIDERED ELIGIBLE FOR RESETTLEMENT BY THE MAIN RESETTLEMENT COUNTRIES.

4

THE UNITED KINGDOM BELIEVES (A) THAT AN INTERNATIONAL EFFORT IS REQUIRED TO SOLVE THE PROBLEM, IDEALLY BY PERSUADING THE VIETNAMESE TO ACCEPT THE RETURN OF THOSE BOAT PEOPLE WHO CLEARLY DO NOT FULFIL REFUGEE CRITERIA AND (B) THAT RESETTLEMENT COUNTRIES SHOULD CONSIDER WHETHER THERE IS SCOPE FOR NEW RESETTLEMENT COMMITMENTS, PARTICULARLY FOR COUNTRIES WHERE THE PROBLEM IS MOST ACUTE. IT WOULD THEREFORE WELCOME AN EXCHANGE OF VIEWS WITH PARTNERS ON THIS ISSUE.

COREU LON

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