TNAG-1977-FCO40-2810-Arrivals-figures-and-procedures-for-Vietnamese-refugees-in-H-1989 — Page 89

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MDHIAN 3572

TOHY

MAY 1989

Q

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FM BANGKOK

TO DESKBY 080730Z FCO

TELNO 307

OF 08051OZ MAY 89

AND TO ROUTINE HONG KONG, KUALA LUMPUR, JAKARTA, SINGAPORE AND TO ROUTINE MANILA HANOI AND WASHINGTON

23

YOUR TELNO 966 TO HONG KONG: VIETNAMESE BOAT PEOPLE :

ARRIVALS

1.

UNHCR HAVE NO FIGURES YET ON MAY ARRIVALS. APRIL ARRIVAL FIGURE NOW AMENDED TO 616.

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UNHCR'S

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2. COMPARED TO 1988, VBP ARRIVALS IN THAILAND ARE SUBSTANTIALLY DOWN. COMPARATIVE (UNHCR) FIGURES ARE AS FOLLOWS: JAN 88 2,467 (JAN 89 130) : FEB 88 799 (FEB 89 - 198): MAR 88 153 (MAR 89 744) APRIL 88 434 (APRIL 89 616). TOTALS TO END APRIL FOR 1988 AND 1989 ARE 3,853 AND 1,688 PERSONS RESPECTIVELY.

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3.

IT SHOULD BE REMEMBERED, HOWEVER, THAT IT WAS THE VERY HIGH ARRIVAL RATE IN JANUARY 1988 (COMING ON TOP OF HIGH NUMBERS IN THE PRECEEDING THREE MONTHS), THAT LED THE THAIS TO TEMPORARILY ABANDON THE PRINCIPLE OF FIRST ASYLUM.

4. THE CURRENT RATE OF ARRIVALS IS SEEN AS MANAGEABLE BY THE THAIS. NO EMERGENCY ACCOMMODATION HAS BEEN INTRODUCED, AND PROCESSING OF VBPS CONTINUES AS NORMAL, I.E. AFTER REGISTRATION AT THE COAST THEY ARE TRANSFERRED TO THE BANTHAD HOLDING CENTRE AT SITE 2.

SMITH

YYYY

ΜΑΙΝ

96

DISTRIBUTION

102

.VIETNAMESE BOAT PEOPLE IN HK

LIMITED

HKD

NEWS

PS

PS/LORD GLENARTHUR

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