ASEAN COUNTRIES. THE STATE DEPARTMENT HAVE THEREFORE BEEN EXPLO" 146′′
WHETHER IT MIGHT BE POSSIBLE TO DEVISE A PACKAGE IN WHICH THE
ISLAND CENTRE WOULD FEATURE NOT AS THE DEFINITIVE SOLUTION TO THE
REFUGEE PROBLEM BUT AS A CONTRIBUTION TO THAT SOLUTION.
3. LOWMAN SAID THAT THE MAJORITY OF REFUGEES WOULD PRESUMABLY
CONTINUE TO ARRIVE AT THE TRADITIONAL COUNTRIES OF FIRST ASYLUM,
AND THAT IT WOULD CONSEQUENTLY BE A MAJOR OPERATION TO MCVE ALL OF
THESE TO THE ISLAND CENTRE. HE THEREFORE THOUGHT THAT THE TRADITIONAL
COUNTRIES OF FIRST ASYLUM SHOULD CONTINUE TO PROCESS NEWLY ARRIVED
REFUGEES, SENDING ON AS QUICKLY AS POSSIBLE THOSE WHOSE CLAIMS TO RESETTLEMENT ELSEWHERE COULD BE EASILY VERIFIED, WITH ONLY THE MORE DIFFICULT CASES BEING TRANSFERRED TO THE ISLAND CENTRE. LOWMAN SAID
THAT TAKING THE MAXIMUM PERIOD WHICH THE INDONESIANS HAD HINTED
WOULD BE ACCEPTABLE FOR A REFUGEE TO REMAIN IN THE ISLAND CENTRE (THREE YEARS), SOME 1300/1400 REFUGEES PER MONTH WOULD HAVE TO BE ACCEPTED FROM THE CENTRE. PROVIDING OTHER COUNTRIES OFFERED TO
SHARE THIS BURDEN, LOWMAN THOUGHT THAT THE ADMINISTRATION COULD
APPROACH CONGRESS TO SEEK APPROVAL FOR INCLUDING REFUGEES FROM THE ISLAND CENTRE IN THE US PROGRAMME WHICH IS CURRENTLY RUNNING AT 40,000 TO 50,000 A YEAR. LOWMAN THOUGHT THAT PROCEEDING ON THESE LINES WOULD HAVE THE ADVANTAGES OF STRETCHING OUT THE US PROGRAMME AND ALLOW MORE TIME TO CONSIDER WHETHER WE ARE FACED WITH A TEMPORARY REFUGEE BULGE, OR A PHENOMENON OF LONGER DURATION (HE COMMENTED THAT THE NUMBER OF REFUGEE ARRIVALS IN MALAYSIA HAD TAPERED OFF SHARPLY ALTHOUGH THE LARGE VESSELS WERE KEEPING THE OVERALL TOTAL HIGH). THERE WOULD STILL BE THE PROBLEM OF GUARANTEES, BUT THE NUMBERS WOULD BE FINITE, IF LARGE.
4. LOWMAN SAID THAT HE HOPED TO ISSUE INSTRUCTIONS BY THE END OF THE WEEK TO US MISSIONS CONCERNED INCLUDING US EMBASSY LONDON SETTING OUT THE IDEAS ABOVE IN MORE DETAIL, AND INVITING COMMENTS
FROM HOST GOVERNMENTS.
5. LOWMAN DID NOT DEAL WITH THE FINANCIAL ASPECTS, BUT GIVEN THE PRELIMINARY NATURE OF HIS COMMENTS, IT SEEMS UNLIKELY THAT THE US AMBASSADOR IN MANILA CAN HAVE HAD STATE DEPARTMENT AUTHORITY FOR THE ASSURANCE WHICH HE GAVE MARCOS (MANILA TELNO 70 TO YOU, AND YOUR TELNO 44 TO MANILA)