The remnant troops of the Kuomintang assisted the Thai government in suppressing rebellions along its borders and made heavy sacrifices for maintaining the border security of Thailand. Per an agreement, in 1984, the Thai government officially permitted them to settle in northern Thailand. In that year, 13,728 people naturalized as Thai citizens.
Dongsha Atoll located in the northern South China Sea is 450 km southwest of Kaohsiung, 320 km southeast of Hong Kong, 670 km northeast of [Yulin on] Hainan Island, 1,190 km north of Taiping Island, [and] 780 km northwest of Manila. Administratively, it is under the Cijin District of Kaohsiung.