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SINGAPORE BEF ORE REFUGEES COME A SHORE, THEN IT WILL BE VIRTUALLY IMP OSSIBLE TO REAL IZE THE SPC CONCEPT. IT IS OUR HOPE AND EXPECTATION THAT THE ASEAN NATIONS WILL BE SATISFIED WITH SOMETHING LESS. AS A MINIMUM, THE AGGREGATE OF OFFERS BY RE SETTLEMENT COUNTRIES, BOTH IN TERMS OF CURRENTLY AVAILABLE NUMBERS ANE EXPECTED CONTINUED LEVELS OF INTAKE, SHOULD BE SUFFICIENT TO ENCOURAGE THE A SEAN NATIONS THAT THERE WILL BE NO RESIDUE OF REFUGEES LEFT ON THEIR HANDS IN THE LONG RUN THE HIGH COMMISSIONER PRESENTLY COUNTS 88,000 RE SETTLEMENT OPPORTUNITIES FOR 1979, NOT INCLUDING ANY FURTHER US COMMITMENT FOR REFUGEE ADMISSIONS AFTER APRIL 30, 1979. THE USG HAS ALREADY INDICATED THAT IT HAS A CONTINUING.COMMITMENT TO ASSIST IN THIS GRAVE HUMANITARIAN PROBLEM. THE USG IS SEEXING LEGISLATION THIS YEAR TO REGULARIZE THE IMPLEMENTATION OF SUCH A COMMITMENT., WE HOPE THAT OTHER RESETTLEMENT NATIONS WILL ALSO MOVE IN THE DIRECTION OF CONTINUING TO ACCEPT REFUGEES AT CURRENT OR INCREASED LEVELS,
13. IT MAY BE THAT THE BEST APPROACH IN RESPONSE TO THE INDONESIAN/A SEAN OFFER WOULD BE FOR THE PRINCIPAL RESETTLEMENT NATIONS TO SET ASIDE A CERTA IN PORTION OF THE IR ONGOING PROGRAM TO RESETTLING THE POPULATION OF SUCH A CENTER., THE COUNTRY OFFERING SPACE FOR THE SPC COULD OF COURSE SET AN UPPER LIMIT TO THE NUMBER OF REFUGEES PERMITTED AT ANY ONE TIME. AFTER THAT LIMIT IS REACHED, RESETTLEMENTS FROM THE SPC WOULD THEN HAVE TO AT LEAST EQUAL ANY FURTHER NUMBERS OF ARRIVALS. IN DUE COURSE THE ON GOING RESETTLEMENT PROGRAMS WOULD BE USED TO REDUCE THE NUMBERS IN THE SPC, ONCE THE RATE OF ARRIVALS STARTS TO GO DOWN, INDONESIA HAS ALSO INDICATED THAT IT WOULD LIKE A MAXIMUM WAITING TIME FOR ANY REFUGEE IN AN SPC. ASSUMING NO FURTHER ARRIVALS, A POPULATION OF 50,000 IN AN SPC WOULD BE REDUCED TO ZERO IN THREE YEARS BY MEANS OF AN OUT FLOW FOR FINAL RESETTLEMENT OF 1400 PER MONTH. IF THE SPC IS OPERATED ON A CONTINUING BASIS, THE CENTER COULD IN EFFECT SERVE AS A HOLDING. CAMP FOR WHATEVER MAXIMUM NUMBER IS SPEC IF IED, WITH OUTFLOW MATCHING FURTHER INFLOWS, OUTFLOW REGUIREMENTS COULD BE MET BY ASSIGNING A PORTION OF ONGOING RESETTLEMENT PROGRAMS TO THIS PURPOSE. OTHER NUMBERS FROM THE USG AND OTHER COUNTRIES WOULD CONTINUE TO BE USED TO RESETTLE REFUGEES DIRECTLY FROM OT HER FIRST A SYL UM CAMPS. (
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US 14. WE DO NOT BELIEVE THAT IT IS WISE TO ATTEMPT TO SHIFT S PROGRAM CRITERIA TOTALLY TO A "FIRST COME FIRST MOVED" BASIS, THE CRITERIA UP ON WHICH ADMISSION PROGRAMS ARE BASED REFLECT THE INTEREST AND CONCERN IN THE PUBLIC AND IN THE CONGRESS WHICH UNDERPINS THE DECISION, IN THE FIRST INSTANCE, TO ADMIT SÚCH REFUGEES. HOWEVER, USG PROGRAM NUMBERS RESERVED FOR THE SPC WOULD FOLLOW A FIRST IN-F IR ST OUT PRINCIPLE.
15. USG CONTINUES TO BEL IEVE THAT IT IS IMPORTANT FOR UNHCR TO TAKE THE LEAD WITH A SEAN IN DEVELOPING THIS CONCEPT. WE ARE PLEASED, THEREFORE, THAT MOCHTAR HAS DISCUSSED THE MATTER WITH SAMPAIKUMAR (REF D). CERTAINLY WE AGREE THAT MODAL IT IES SHOULD BE WORKED OUT BETWEEN ALL PARTIES CONCERNED RATHER THAN UNILATERALLY ANNOUNCED BY A SEAN, AND CERTAINLY WE INTEND TO WORK CLOSELY WITH THE GOVERNMENTS AND THE UNHCR. THIS WAS POINT OF REF E., THUS, WE WOULD BE FULLY PREPARED TO ATTEND A MEETING ON THIS SUBJECT WHENEVER AND WHEREVER THIS WERE DESIRED BY UNHCR. WE WOULD ALSO BE PREPARED TO SUPPORT THE UNHCR S EFFORTS BY DISCUSSIONS DIRECTLY WITH IND ONE SIA AND OT HER CONCER NED COUNTRIES.
16. WE HOPE UN HCR WILL UNDERTAKE PRACTICAL, CONSTRUCTIVE DISCUSSIONS ON THIS PROPOSAL WITHOUT FURTHER DELAY..
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CHRISTOPHER
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