READILY UNDERSTANDABLE THAN IT MIGHT BE IN OTHER PARTS OF THE WORLD). EVEN WITH APPARENTLY UNACCOMPANIED MINORS, THE DIFFICULTIES OF PROVING THE FATE (OR IF ALIVE, THE WHEREABOUTS) OF THEIR PARENTS WOULD BE VERY GREAT. THEIR PARENTS, OR OTHER CLOSE FAMILY, MIGHT BE ALIVE IN CAMPS IN OTHER COUNTRIES, OR STILL IN VIETNAM, OR ON THE HIGH SEAS. INVESTIGATIONS (IN WHICH WE WOULD NOT NECESSARILY HAVE THE CO-OPERATION OF VIETNAM) WOULD BE LABORIOUS AND LENGTHY, AND NOT NECESSARILY
CONCLUSIVE. FOSTER PARENTS MIGHT FIND THEMSELVES CONFRONTED
ONE DAY WITH LONG-LOST NATURAL PARENTS OR OTHER CLOSE FAMILY.
WE ARE NOT, IN MAKING THESE POINTS, PLEADING THAT IT IS ALL SIMPLY TOO DIFFICULT FOR US ADMINISTRATIVELY, AS IN ANY COUNTRY,
THE LEGITIAMTE CLAIMS OF PARENTS AND FAMILY, AND THE INTERESTS
OF THE ORPHANS THEMSELVES, MUST BE OUR FIRST RESPONSIBILITY.
THE MATTER IS FURTHER COMPLICATED LEGALLY BY THE FACT THAT THESE
REFUGEES ARE NOT OUR OWN NATIONALS. IN ANY EVENT, WE SEEM TO HAVE VERY FEW CHILDREN IN OUR CARE WHO APPEAR TO QUALIFY. IN ALL THE CIRCUMSTANCES, COULD DR. THIES SUGGEST TO PROPSECTIVE FOSTER PARENTS THE ALTERNATIVE OF SPONSORING FOR RESETTLEMENT, SAY, A REFUGEE FAMILY WITH YOUNG CHILDREN? IN THE SPIRIT OF THE ORIGINAL OFFERS, WE WOULD HOPE THAT THIS COULD BE DONE OVER AND
ABOVE THE EXISTING QUOTAS.
3. IN CASE THE PRECEDENT IS MENTIONED, YOU SHOULD KNOW THAT IN 1975 HONG KONG DID RESETTLE ELSEWHERE SOME 200 ORPHANS. THIS, HOWEVER, WAS A UNIQUELY CLEAR-CUT CASE, SINCE THEY HAD BEEN EVACUATED FROM AN ORPHANAGE IN VIETNAM, AND THEIR LEGAL STATUS WAS NOT COMPLICATED BY THE UNCERTAINTIES MENTIONED ABOVE.
!
2 -
/ WASHINGTON