Bi
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UN CLAS
BANGKOK 05799
EO 12 055: NA
TAGS: SUBJ:
SREF
INDOCHINESE REFUGEES: HOLDING CENTER
1. INDONESIAN FOREGIN MINISTER MOCHTAR KUSUMAAT MADJA, NOW IN THAILAND WITH PRIME MINISTER HUSSIEN ONN AND PARTY,
ENGLISH ANNOUNCED AN OFFER OF AN ISLAND HOLDING CENTER. LANGUAGE NEWSPAPER, THE NATION REVIEW OF 21 FEBRUARY 1979, CARRIED FOLLOWING ARTICLE:
2. QUOTE: THE PHILIPPINES AND INDONESIA HAVE EACH RECENT - LY OFFERED AN ISLAND FOR THE ASEAN-PROPOSED ESTABLISHEENT OF A UNITED NATIONS HIGH COMMISSIONER FOR REFUGEES (UNHCR) PROCESSING CENTERE FOR INDOCHINA REFUGEES.
HOWEVER, THE ASEAN COUNTRIES HAD YET TO MEET FOR A CON-
WHICH CENSUS ON WHETHER OR NOT TO ACCEPT THE ISLANDS. HAD TO MEET SOME BASIC CRITERIA. THE INDONESIAN MINISTER SAID AT A PRESS CONFERENCE AT DON MUANG AIRPORT BEFORE HIS DEPARTURE FOR HONG KONG.
IN HONG KONG, HE SAID, HE WAS TO MEET REGIONAL REPRESEN- TATIVE OF UNHCR RAJAGOPALAM SAMPAT KUMAR FOR DISCUSSION ON THE QUESTION.
THE ISLAND OFFERED BY INDONESIA WAS THE ONE KNOWN AS NATUNA ISLAND. HE SAID.
THAI FOREIGN MINISTER UPPADIT PACHARI YANG KUN AGREED TO THE INITIATIVE WHEN IT WAS RELATED TO HIM BY KUSUMMATMAD JA WHEN THEY MET IN CHIANG MAI ON MONDAY.
KUSUMAATMAD JA SAID THAT THE IDEAL ISLAND PREFERRED FOR THE PURPOSE MUST POSSESS ADEQUATE FRESH WATER, FAIR SIZE NATURAL VEGETATION HARBOUR AND BE SUFFICIENTLY FAR FROM DENSELY-POPULATED AREAS BUT NOT TOO FAR TO PRESENT
LOGISTIC PROBLEMS.
THE ISLAND, HE SAID, WILL BE RUN BY UNHCR.
UNCLASSIFIED