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Business Arising All points covered under main headings.
INDO-CHINESE REFUGEES
a) Talk by Mr. James Thomson, world Alliance o. YMCAS on ludo Chinese Refugees in Thailand.
Mr. Thomson suggested that the session should be one for an exchange of information rather than a report, as he felt others at the meeting knew the situation better than he did.
An estimate was that there had been about 107,000 refugees in Thailand including 30,000 Cambodians and 7,000 to 8,000 Vietnamese apart from the boat people. The balance were Laotians.
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According to the Intergovernmental Committee for European Higration (ICE) some 31,000 had already been settled outside Thailand and amongst these were probably those most easy to settle i.e. the leaders of the groups. It was therefore more difficult to run the camps because the leadership had been decimated. Many of the professional people, teachers, medical aids, agriculturalists etc. had gone; they had been leaders in the camps and there was there.ore need for continual training process.
A Committee for the Coordination of Services to Displaced Persons in Thailand had been set up and was working well. At this stage it was no longer possible for organisations to work in isolation.
This Committee met twice a month and workea closely with the UNIICR's represent- ative, Mr. Berta, for the exchange of information - particularly on practical matters and joint action on transport, supplies etc. This was an example of real cooperation between oranisations and an exhilarating experience for those who took part.
At the beginning, all the agencies on the Committee worked at anything tuat needed doing; now order had been set up and each organisation had decided which area it wished to concentrate on. The main needs were for medical care, for nutrition and the care of orphan children.
Some of the Indo Chinese in Thailand were displaced persons rather than refugees.
Recently great concern had been caused because there had been a possibility of 2 cut in the UNHCR's programme. This decision was, however, tied to a decision by the Thai Government to allow a 2% self sufficiency programme. This was possible in certain places only.
In considering possible resettlement of displaced persons in Thailand it was essential to look at the land situation and the local laws which laid down that if anyone lived on and cultivated a plot they would own it after three years. For this reason the Thai Government would not allow displaced persons to have land in certain areas where there was the danger of insurgents. Instead they were trying to find some system through cooperatives in pig and chicken farming to help displaced persons to become self-supporting. It was expected that the refugees would organise these projects entirely by themselves and that there would eventually be no need for the intervention of the agencies or Goverment officials even in sending representatives to their organising Committees.
It was suggested that any surplus from these schemes should be bought by the UNHCR and distributed amongst refugees in non-productive areas.
Boat People
Mr. Thomson reported that rumours were being circulated about British ships passing the Vietnamese boats in difficulty on the South China Seas. He wondered what the Government was doing about it.
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