Speaker. the mistreatment of defenseless people is always a matter of grave humanitarian concern. A recent article in the Washington Post presents a shocking account of the brutal treatment of 41 Vietnamese on a small boat who faced repeated pirate attacks before a Thai fishing boat rescued them. Most of the Vietnamese never made it to shore because the fishermen left them off the coast in rafts rather than face possible punishment for bringing refugees to Thailand. In November. pirates attacked 17 out of 21 of the refugee boats that reached Thailand. U.N. statistics document an astonishing 80 to 90 percent chance of pirate attack on those who in desperation leave Vietnam. A Thai antipiracy program. relying on U.S. funds. recently terminated for lack of resources. The United States should respond generously to efforts by the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees to meet the piracy threat. A concerted diplomatic effort onthe part of our Government. moreover. should be directed toward underscoring U.S. abhorrence of attacks on refugees and U.S. support for regional efforts to stop piracy. The Washington Post has helped to focus world attention on a serious humanitarian problem by printing this provocative story on the brutal treatment of desperate people. Hopefully. the article will inspire a concerted national and international reslponse.
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Refugees refugee refugees