WOULD ALSO BE INVITED TO MEET LAU BILATERALLY IF THEY SO WISHED.
5.- COMMENTING ON THE LIKELY AGENDA FOR LAU'S VISIT, SIMINGTON
ED THAT UNHCR WOULD NO DOUBT WISH TO DISCUSS:
A) THE RATE OF ODP DEPARTURES DURING 1984. HIS IMPRESSION FROM HIS MEETINGS DURING HIS CURRENT VISIT WAS THAT THE VIETNAMESE SAW 2,000 DEPARTURES A MONTH AS A REASONABLE OBJECTIVE. ABOUT 1,000 OF THESE WOULD BE FOR THE UNITED STATES
B) WAYS OF IMPROVING VIETNAMESE ADMINISTRATION OF THE PROGRAMME. THE MOST DIFFICULT PROBLEM IN FUTURE YEARS WOULD BE TO BRING OUT VIETNAMESE LIVING IN DISTANT PROVINCES. IF THIS WERE TO BE ACHIEVED, THE VIETNAMESE WOULD NEED TO IMPROVE THEIR PRESENT ORGANISATION IN CENTRES AND TO TRANSPORT CANDIDATES TO AND FROM THESE, AND
C) WAYS OF IMPROVING OFFICE FACILITIES AND LIVING ACCOMMODATION FOR UNHCR STAFF IN HO CHI MINH CITY.
SINO-KHMERS
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5. SIMINGTON SAID THAT 21,000 SINO-KHMERS REMAINED IN UNHCR CAMPS IN SOUTH VIETNAM. A FURTHER 7,000 RECEIVED UNHCR ASSISTANCE WHILE LIVING IN HO CHI MINH CITY. THE VIETNAMESE AUTHORITIES CONTINUED TO ASSERT THAT THE SINO-KHMERS WISHED TO BE RESETTLED OUTSIDE VIETNAM. UNHCR DID NOT NECESSARILY ACCEPT THIS VIEW BUT BELIEVED THAT THIS WAS THE RIGHT SOLUTION FOR A SIGNIFICANT PROPORTION'' OF THEM. HE WAS, HOWEVER, WELL AWARE THAT WESTERN GOVERNMENTS COULD ONLY PROVIDE UNHCR WITH LIMITED HELP. UNHCR HAD THEREFORE BEEN CONSIDERING THE POSSIBILITY OF INTEGRATING SOME OF THE SINO-KHMER INTO THE LOCAL VIETNAMESE POPULATION AND, POSSIBLY ALSO, OF RETURNING A PROPORTION TO THIER ORIGINAL HOMES IN CAMBODIA. IT WAS TOO EARLY TO SAY WHETHER ANYTHING WOULD COME OF THESE INITIATIVES. THERE WAS SOME POSSIBILITY OF PROGRESS ALTHOUGH FEW OF THE SINO- KHMERS WOULD PROBABLY IN THE EVENT, BE RESETTLED IN CAMBODIA. UNHCR WOULD MEANWHILE HAVE TO CONTINUE ASSISTING THE GROUP. ALTHOUGH THE COSTS INVOLVED WERE RELATIVELY MODEST - ABOUT DOLLARS US 900,000 ANNUALLY UNHCR WERE FINDING IT DIFFICULT TO SUSTAIN EVEN THESE.
COMMENT
6. THE VIETNAMESE ARE CLEARLY MAKING CONSIDERABLE EFFORTS TO COOPERATE EFFECTIVELY WITH UNHCR IN IMPLEMENTING THE ODP PROGRAMME AND I AM THEREFORE INCLINED TO ACCEPT SIMINGTON'S (IMPLICIT) OPTIMISM ABOUT A FURTHER RISE IN THE NUMBER OF DEPARTURES NEXT YEAR.
SIGNED: M E PIKE