GRS 35%
.CONFIDENTIAL
DESKBY 24 930Z
CONFIDENTIAL
HkK2H3/1
RECEIVED A *ARSTKY 10.
2 4 MAY 1979
DESK OFFICIN
FM BANG OK 247753Z
TO IMMEDIATE HONGKONG
TELNO (84 OF 241AY
INDEX
PA
Achem Tekun
No
83.5
AND TO IMMEDIATE FCO AND UKMIS GENEVA
INFO PARIS WASHINGTON OTTAWA CANBERRA KUALA LUMPUR
G19
709
YOUR TELIO 3 KAMPUCHEAN REFUGEES-
ace (720)
UNHCR RESPONDED BY EMPHASISING THE EXTREME URGENCY OF THE SITUATION.. THEY ARE CONVINCED THAT THESE REFUGEES WILL BE SENT BACK TO CAMBODIA BY THE WEEKEND IF AN OFFER TO ACCEPT THEM IS NOT FORTHCOMING. UNHCR POINTED OUT THAT ON THIS TIME SCALE THERE IS VIRTUALLY NO CHANCE OF 03TAINING SUBSTANTIAL EVIDENCE OF CLOSE FAMILY RELATIONSHIPS.
3. SEVERAL COUNTRIES HAVE ALREADY MADE OFFERS TO ACCEPT A NUMBER OF KAMPUCHEAN REFUGEES ON THE BASIS OF INTERVIEWS CONDUCTED BY US OFFICIALS WHO HAD GAINED ACCESS TO THE CAMPS WITHOUT FORMAL PERMISSION. UNHCR HOPE TO BRING SOME 389 KAMPUCHEANS TO BANGKOK
TODAY - OF THESE 134 HAVE BEEN ACCEPTED BY FRANCE AND 739 BY THE USA FRANCE HAS OFFERED PLACES FOR A FURTHER 650 AND THE USA FOR 30- 359 BUT THESE FURTHER LISTS HAVE NOT YET BEEN FINALISED. AUSTRALIA HAS OFFERED TO TAKE ANOTHER 24 AND CANADA a MALAYSIA HAS AGREED IN PRINCIPLE TO ACCEPT ANY MOSLEM REFUGEES AND IS SENDING A MISSION TO THE CAMPS WITHIN THE NEXT FEW DAYS. ALL OF THESE OFFERS (AMOUNTING TO A TOTAL OF ABOUT 2,007) HAVE BEEN MADE ON THE BASIS OF UNSUBSTANTIATED CLAIMS TO FAMILY TIES MADE BY THE REFUGEES TO US OFFICIALS. RECIPIENT COUNTRIES HAVE DECIDED TO TREAT THESE STATEMENTS AS SUFFICIENT EVIDENCE BECAUSE ALL THE KAMPUCHEANS ARE IN IMMINENT DANGER OF
BEING RETURNED TO CAMBODIA.
936
CONFIDENTIAL
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