GES 200
ENCLAIR
FM BANGKOK 129739Z SEP 78
UNCLASSIFIED
TO ROUTINE FCO TEL NO 352 OF 12/9/73
IT
185
243/1
HKK 243 RECEIVED IN REGISTRY/NO. 51 14 SEP 1978
AND TO ROUTINE UKMIS GENEVA, HANOI, HONG KONG, KUALA LUMPUR, SINGAPORE AND VIENTIANE
VISIT OF UN HIGH COMMISSIONER FOR REFUGEES
DESK, OFFICER INDEX
No
PA
1. MR.POUL HARTLING MADE AN OFFICIAL VISIT TO THAILAND FROM
4-9 SEPTEMBER, WHILE HERE HE VISITED THE REFUGEE CAMPS AT NONG KHAI, ARANYAPRATHET, AND LAEM SINGH, AND HAD TALKS. WITH THE PRIME MINISTER, THE MINISTER OF THE INTERIOR, AND THE FOREIGN MINISTER. HE ALSO HAD SHORT MEETING WITH THE
VISITING FRENCH FOREIGN MINISTER. HE TRAVELLED FROM BANGKOK TO VIENTIANE, AND WAS THEN GOING ON TO HANOI.
2.A JOINT PRESS STATEMENT ISSUED AT THE END OF HIS VISIT
STATED THAT THE UNHCR AND THE THAI GOVERNMENT AHD AGREED
THAT THE PROBLEM OF INDO-CHINESE REFUGEES WAS
ONE WHICH SHOULD BE SOLVED BY THE JOINT EFFORTS OF THE INT-
ERNATIONAL COMMUNITY, MR, HARTLING HAD AGREED TO CONSIDER
THE POOLING OF EFFORTS TO OBTAIN THE WIDEST POSSIBLE RESETTLEMENT
OPPORTUNITIES AND TO SEEK THE LIBERALISATION OF SELECTION
CRITERIA USED BY THIRD COUNTRIES,
REGATRY
ction Trien
CLE
HE HAD ALSO AGREED THAT LAND CASES ** DESERVED SPECIAL
CONSIDERATION BECAUSE OF THEIR NUMBERS AND THAT HE WOULD BRING
THIS TO THE ATTENTION OF THE INTERNATIONAL COMMUNITY. MR HARTLING
WOULD ALSO EXPLORE PROSPECTS FOR THE VOLUNTARY REPATRIATION
OF REFUGEES, THE THAI GOVERNMENT AND UNHCR AGREED TO SET UP A PILOT PROJECT FOR A SELF-SUFFICIENCY PROGRAMME DESIGNED TO BENIFIT BOTH THE REFUGEES AND THAI RURAL PEOPLE.BOT SIDES EXPRESSED THEIR APPRECIATION FOR THE DEVOTED WORK OF THE VOLUNTARY
AGENCIES.
3.MR .HARTLING REPORTEDLY TOLD THE PRESS THAT THAILAND WOULD RECEIVE THE BULK OF UNHCR'S DOLLAR 25.5 MILLION BUDGET FOR THE COMING YEAR, AND SAID THAT THE RESETTLING OF
SOME REFUGEES IN THAILAND WAS A NECESSITY **
*A BECAUSE
THEY WERE UNFITTED TO LIVE IN COUNTRIES LIKE FRANCE OR THE USA.
TRIPP
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CABINET OFFICE