UNCLASSIFIED
1 745
MDHIAN
071
NOT CLASSIFIED AS REFUGEES WOULD UNDERMINE ANY RATIFICATION OF COMPREHENSIVE PLAN OF ACTION (CPA) AT THE INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE IN JUNE. THE THAIS ARE CURRENTLY EVALUATING WHETHER TO PRESS THE VIETNAMESE ON THIS AT FORTHCOMING BILATERAL MEETINGS.
4. TAMNU SAID THAT IN PRACTICE THE THAIS ARE LIKELY TO REVIEW THE NEED FOR A REGIONAL HOLDING CENTRE TOWARDS THE END OF THIS YEAR. IN DOING SO, THEY WOULD ALLOW TIME FOR ANY ARRANGEMENTS, AGREED AT THE ICIR ON SCREENING AND
REPATRIATION, TO WORK. IF THEY FEEL, AT THAT TIME, THAT THERE IS TOO LARGE A BACKLOG OF NON-VOLUNTEERING SCREENED OUTS THEN THEY ARE LIKELY TO PUSH FOR A HOLDING CENTRE.
5. THE THAIS HAVE INFORMALLY RAISED THE IDEA OF A HOLDING CENTRE, OR CENTRES WITH ASEAN COLLEAGUES AND UNHCR. THEY ENVISAGE THAT ANY CENTRES WOULD HAVE TO BE RUN BY UNHCR. ALTHOUGH THIS IS TECHNICALLY OUTSIDE UNHCR'S MANDATE. HOWEVER, THE THAIS SEE UNHCR'S MOUS WITH THE VIETNAMESE, OVER BOAT PEOPLE, AND THE PRK, OVER DISPLACED CAMBODIANS, AS PRECEDENTS FOR UNHCR TO BECOME INVOLVED IN LOOKING AFTER NON-REFUGEES SUCH AS THE SCREENED OUT.
6. TAMNU INDICATED THAT POSSIBLE SITES FOR HOLDING CENTRES MIGHT BE IN THE PHILIPPINES, AND PERHAPS INDONESIA. HE BELIEVED THAT THE PHILIPPINES COULD BE INDUCED, THROUGH FINANCIAL INCENTIVES, TO MAKE AVAILABLE ONE OR TWO OF THEIR UNINHABITED ISLANDS. TAMNU EMPHASIZED THAT THAILAND WOULD NOT ALLOW ANY CENTRES WITHIN HER BOUNDARIES.
COMMENT
7. THE THAIS HAVE FOR SOME TIME BEEN ATTRACTED BY THE IDEA OF A REGIONAL HOLDING CENTRE. TO THEM THE APPEAL OF SUCH AN IDEA LIES IN THE FACT THAT VIETNAMESE NOT CLASSIFIED AS REFUGEES WOULD NEVERTHELESS LEAVE THAILAND QUICKLY, AND BECOME SOMEONE ELSE'S (UNHCR) RESPONSIBILITY. FROM WHAT TAMNU SAID, THE THAIS APPEAR WILLING TO TRY AT ICIR TO RATIFY THE CPA AS IT STANDS, AND RESORT TO THE IDEA OF A CENTRE ONLY IF THE CPA DOES NOT WORK OUT ENTIRELY TO
THEIR SATISFACTION.
8. THE THAI DELEGATION CURRENTLY IN GENEVA, AND IN PARTICULAR AMBASSADOR KASIT, MAY BE ABLE TO ADD TO THE ABOVE.
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