RECENT unrest in the territory's detention centres has led to demonstrations and widespread withdrawals from the voluntary repatriation programmes for Vietnamese boat people.
Thailand has been hardest hit with 150 people pulling out of the repatriation scheme in the past two days and hundreds more set to follow.
The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) chief of mission in Bangkok, Ruprecht von Arnim, said the slide was a direct result of congressional moves in the United States which had already been reflected in Hong Kong.
Fierce opposition was mounted by 1,500 Vietnamese at Hong Kong's Whitehead detention centre on Saturday when thousands of police and Correctional Services staff were sent in to remove them in a transfer operation.
Their opposition has been partly attributed to a proposal before the US Congress to resettle up to 20,000 boat people from the region.
At Whitehead, US flags and portraits of President Bill Clinton were in abundance last Saturday.
Mr von Arnim said a similar feeling prevailed in Bangkok and demonstrations had been continuing at the main detention centre where about 5,000 people are being held pending repatriation.