CONFIDENTIAL
FM KUALA LUMPUR
TO DESKBY 15090OZ FCO
TELNO 388
OF 15034OZ JULY 89
CONFIDENTIAL
HKB
247
10034.
a
INFO IMMEDIATE HONG KONG, JAKARTA, SINGAPORE, UKMIS GENEVA
INFO IMMEDIATE BANGKOK, HANOI
VIETNAMESE BOAT PEOPLE : MALAYSIAN PUSH OFFS
SUMMARY
(
125723
MDHIAN 3364
+
1. BBC WORLD SERVICE NEWS ITEM ALLEGING MALAYSIAN PUSH OFF OF BOAT PEOPLE AND QUOTING DIPLOMATIC AND UNHCR SOURCES IS CONFIRMED BY UNHCR. MALAYSIANS CONTINUE TO DENY ANY WITHDRAWAL OF FIRST ASYLUM.
DETAIL
2 =
FOLLOWING THE BBC STORY BROADCAST ON 14 JULY I SPOLIE TO DATO MAJID SECRETARY GENERAL MFA (PUS EQUIVALENT) WHO DENIED THAT THE MALAYSIAN NAVY HAD PUSHED OFF ANY BOAT PEOPLE. FAKHOURITHE UNHCR DEPUTY REPRESENTATIVE HERE HOWEVER CONFIRMED THAT THEY WERE AWARE OF AT LEAST SIXTEEN BOATS THAT HAD BEEN PUSHED OFF BETWEEN THE BEGINNING OF JUNE AND 7 JULY. THREE PRIOR TO THE JUNE CONFERENCE AND SEVERAL DURING IT.
THERE WERE NOW EIGHT HUNDRED AND EIGHTY SIX (886) BOAT PEOPLE IN INDONESIA WHO RELIABLY CLAIMED TO HAVE BEEN REFUSED FIRST
ASYLUM IN MALAYSIA.
3. ALTHOUGH SOME BOATS WERE PREVENTED FROM LANDING IN OTHER CASES
THE BOAT PEOPLE WERE DETAINED IN ARMY CAMPS FOR SOME TIME BEFORE THEY WERE PUT BACK INTO THEIR OWN BOATS AND TOWED OFFSHORE. INDONESIA CLAIM THAT ONE PERSON DROWNED WHEN A BOAT TOWED BY THE MALAYSIAN NAVY
CAPSIZED. IT IS QUITE POSSIBLE THAT OTHER BOATS ARE MISSING AT SEA.
4. THESE PUSH OFFS ARE SELECTIVE. THE MALAYSIANS ARE STILL
ACCEPTING OTHER BOATS. THE CRITERIA APPEARS TO BE WHETHER THEY BELIEVE THAT THE UNHCR WILL BE AWARE OF THE BOATS ARRIVAL. IT IS HARD TO DECIDE WHAT THE MALAYSIANS BELEIVE THIS POLICY WILL ACHIEVE.
THEY MAY BELIEVE THAT IT IS IMPORTANT NOT TO CONFIRM THEIR ACTIONS TO
AVOID IRRITIATING NEIGBOURING COUNTRIES YET FOR THE PUSH OFFS TO BE AN EFFECTIVE DETERRENT, WHICH IS PRESUMABLY THEIR AIM, THEY MUST BE PUBLICISED. IN ANY CASE THE UNHCR HERE CLAIM THAT THE INDONESIANS
ARE INCENSED.
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