90
00
CONFIDENTIAL
5.
Thus the Pol Pot forces may stage a revival during the monsoon,
benefitting from Chinese supplies which are now reaching them
through Thailand and with the complicity of some elements there.
A separate question is whether the continued fighting will affect
the planting and harvesting of the next rice crop; this and
the population upheavals could lead to famine.
Refugees
12. On 3 April 1979, the Japanese Cabinet decided to admit a
quota of 500 Indo-Chinese displaced persons. Hitherto,
Japan had admitted only very few refugees for permanent
resettlement.
Japan's assistance towards alleviating the
refugee problem in the region has been mainly by way of generous
financial contributions to the United Nations High Commissioner
for Refugees (UNHCR).
While finance for the UNHCR is essential,
the greater need is for permanent resettlement places for refugees
13. The United Kingdom has so far accepted 1,830 Indo-China
refugees and is committed to receive some 1,050 more by March 1980. This is in addition to our commitment to receive here refugees
rescued by UK-registered shipping when such refugees cannot be
resettled elsewhere and to consider accepting any refugees with
close connexions with the United Kingdom.
EEC/JAPAN
14.
The problem of the Japanese trade and payments surplus has
been under review within the Community for some
some years and has
been discussed by the EEC Heads of Government on several
occasions.
The Commission has been mandated to put pressure
on the Japanese to take steps to reduce both the global surpluses
and the imbalance with the EEC. So far these representations
which to some extent have been concerted with those of the US have
met with only limited success.
The topic will be on the agenda
of the European Council a week before the Tokyo Summit.
CONFIDENTIAL
/15.