Thais to close refugee camps
NZPA-Reuter Bangkok The Thai Government announced yesterday that it would reduce the number of Indo-Chinese refugee camps from 17 to three and seek ways to speed up repatriation of Kampuchean refugees now in the country. About 130,000 Kampucheans are in refugee holding centres in Thailand, along with 100.000 from Laos and 11.500 from Vietnam.
The Secretary-General of the National Security Council, (Mr Prasong Soonsiri) said that humanitarian as well as '“national security and integrity” considerations would be weighed in develop-
ing a programme to relieve Thailand of the Kampuchean refugee burden. Earlier Mr Prasong had said that between 70,000 and 80,000 Kampucheans were freely willing to return to their country and that none would be forced to go back. Mr Prasong’s statements came after a. meeting between Thai Government representatives and the United Nations High Commission for Refugees. .
A joint press release after the meeting said agreement had been reached in principle on ways to speed up the departure of Laotian and Vietnamese refugees from Thailand.
Mr said agreement 'had been reached to close two Vietnamese refugee camps in Thailand as part of a general reduction of camps in the country. He said that the U.N.H.C.R. and other international agencies had guaranteed the resettlement from Thailand of 10,000 Laotian and Vietnamese refugees each month, which would sharply reduce the refugee camp population.
U.N.H.C.R. officials refused to comment on the meeting. The repatriation of Kampuchean refugees has been particularly difficult, since it involves the safety of retur-
nees should they cross trom Thailand into embattled western Kampuchea. The guerrillas of the toppled Pol Pot are fighting Vietnamese forces and those of the Phnom Penh Government in many areas of the border.
The Thai Government's position so far has tended towards a cross-border repatriation. But some international agencies have favoured repatriation though Phnom Penh or the port of Kompong Som.
Thailand does not recognise the Phnom Penh Government of President Heng Samrin and refuses to negotiate with it.
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Press, 29 May 1981, Page 9
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331Thais to close refugee camps Press, 29 May 1981, Page 9
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