IB DP History FS4 - Indochina refugee crisis (1975–1990)– HL & SL  Paper 1- New Syllabus

1. According to Source A, what developments contributed to the refugee crisis after 1975? [3]

The end of the Vietnam War was followed by communist control of Vietnam and Laos and violent political upheaval in Cambodia. The Khmer Rouge regime and the later Vietnamese invasion of Cambodia created further instability. These developments produced fear, persecution and insecurity across the region. They therefore generated several different waves of refugees rather than one single exodus.

2. What does Source A suggest about the different forms of displacement experienced by Indochinese refugees? [4]

Some refugees crossed land borders into neighbouring Southeast Asian states, while Vietnamese boat people escaped by sea. Cambodians were also displaced into makeshift settlements along the Thai frontier without necessarily obtaining normal refugee status. Some people moved directly to resettlement countries while others remained internally or regionally displaced. The source therefore presents the crisis as involving multiple forms of forced movement.

3. Explain why the refugee crisis continued after its peak around 1979. [4]

Political insecurity inside Vietnam, Laos and Cambodia did not disappear after 1979. The Vietnamese occupation of Cambodia and regional tensions continued to generate fear and migration. New refugees continued to replace people who had left camps for permanent resettlement. Consequently, declining annual numbers did not mean that the underlying causes had been removed.

4. According to Source B, why did many refugees remain in camps for long periods? [3]

Many refugees could not obtain places in third countries because resettlement opportunities declined or selection criteria excluded them. First-asylum governments generally refused local integration. Repatriation was also difficult because refugees feared conditions in their countries of origin. These factors left thousands of people living in temporary camps for years.

5. What does Source B suggest about the purpose of “humane deterrence”? [4]

Humane deterrence attempted to make asylum less attractive without completely abandoning humanitarian assistance. Governments used austere camps, detention and screening to discourage future arrivals. The policy reflected fear that generous treatment might create a magnet for further refugees. It therefore represented a compromise between allowing some protection and protecting national interests.

6. With reference to its origin and content, analyse the value and limitations of Source B for studying the continuing refugee crisis. [6]

The source is valuable because Sutter studied the crisis while it was still continuing and used government, international-agency and refugee-related evidence. Its content provides useful information about camp populations, deterrence measures and failures of repatriation and integration. It also places humanitarian conditions within the political interests of first-asylum countries. However, it is a broad secondary analysis and cannot represent the individual experiences of every refugee population. Conditions varied considerably between countries and camps. It should therefore be supplemented by refugee testimony and records from particular first-asylum sites.

7. According to Source C, why was third-country resettlement important? [3]

ASEAN governments generally did not want large refugee populations to settle permanently in their countries. At the same time, safe and voluntary repatriation was often impossible. Third-country resettlement therefore provided a way to move refugees out of first-asylum states. It also distributed responsibility to states such as the United States, Canada, Australia and France.

8. What does Source C suggest about the relationship between refugees and international politics? [4]

The refugee crisis was connected to competition involving ASEAN, Vietnam, China, the Soviet Union and the United States. Refugee policy therefore reflected security and foreign-policy concerns as well as humanitarian principles. Decisions about asylum and resettlement could support alliances or isolate political opponents. Refugees consequently became part of the wider political struggle in Southeast Asia.

9. Analyse how Sources A to C explain why the Indochina refugee crisis became a prolonged international problem. [6]

Source A identifies continuing political instability in all three Indochinese states as the fundamental source of displacement. Source B shows that temporary asylum did not provide a durable solution because integration, repatriation and resettlement were all limited. Source C demonstrates that the problem involved many states whose humanitarian concerns competed with strategic and domestic interests. New arrivals repeatedly replaced refugees who were resettled. The crisis therefore persisted because neither its political causes nor the problem of finding permanent homes was easily resolved. Together, the sources explain why displacement continued well beyond the immediate aftermath of 1975.