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working for UNDP, had helped a number of Cambodian refugees to reach Saigon where they were living in a Buddhist temple.
Mr. White was at present in France having recently come back from USA but had been asked to get in touch with SCOR on return. He was collecting funds, clothes, etc. for Cambodian refugees.
4. Reports on Recent Visits
a) Rev. Carlisle Patterson
i) Hong Kong
In visiting Hong Kong for another purpose, Rev. Carlisle Patterson had had informal talks with the Hong Kong Christian Council about the movement of refugees from Communist China into Hong Kong. It was evidently very difficult to find out who were fleeing from persecution and who were seeking a better economic life. There was considerable freedom of movement between China and Hong Kong but the Government was taking a firm line about allowing many more "immigrants" or "refugees" in. One of the main reasons was lack of space, population having increased by some 900,000 in the last ten years.
the
This problem of immigration which had increased again recently was greatly concerning the Hong Kong Government and the international agencies which were concerned about the plight of individuals, some of whom were being returned to China.
There was no immediate action suggested for the voluntary agencies.
It was reported thst Mr. Heidler had said that although Hong Kong was excluded from the Convention, the immigration officers had been given strict instructions about fair treatment for those seeking to enter.
ii) Laos
Rev. Carlisle Patterson had spent one week in Laos on behalf of the World Council of Churches and Asia Christian Service which had programmes for re- construction and rehabilitation after war devastation. Apparently this was not seen by the Laotian Government as a contradiction of the Churches support for Laotian refugees in Thailand.
The Laotian Government wished to encourage people to stay rather than to leave as refugees.
Representatives of UN agencies, churches, ecc. gave different answers but there seemed to be two main reasons why people were leaving.
a) Economic in search for a better life
b)
In the case of the MEOS from the north, many of them had been trained by the USA and so the whole tribe tended to feel insecure about their future in Laos. Some people suggested that perhaps the Government was not unhappy to see them leave. The Government really wanted to get rid of them. There were a high proportion of Christians among the MEOS but there was no real evidence that they were being persecuted for their religion.
Lady Alexandra Metcalfe referred to her visit to Laos in 1976 as guest of the Laotian Government. She had been surprised by the official reception and the readiness to allow SCF to operate.
In Thailand the MEOS were very difficult to place. The numbers coming out
There were were increasing but many wives and children had been left behind. some 8,000 in the camp in Thailand, and the MEOS mostly segregated in a separate part. The women did beautiful embroidery; efforts were being made to market this
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