3
meeting of the Asia Committee was necessary. If an Asia Committee meeting was felt necessary, Robina Brand (SCF), Michael Harris
(Ockenden) and Benjamin Tang (Hong Kong Government Office) agreed to be included. Benjamin Tang said he would be happy to help in arranging a trip to Hong Kong if it was thought necessary.
3.4
Bihari's in Bangladesh
The Chairman reported on the latest progress on moves to transfer Biharis from Pangladesh to Pakistan. He said he had now established a trust worth US$278 million to finance the resettlement and the building of housing units in Pakistan. Sites for 80 colonies, mostly in the Punjab, housing approximately 3,000 each, had all been chosen. The Muslim World League would be involved in providing education, clinics and community centres. Proposals to ICVA would be circulated to organ- isations and he was hoping voluntary agencies would be making cont- ributions. He was hoping to sign an agreement with the President of Pakistan and the Prime Minister of Saudi Arabia in October, and work should start in January 1986.
4.
REFUGEE SITUATION IN THAILAND
The following articles were circulated with the agenda: "US Refugee Policy: Coping with Migration" from Indochina Issues 55, March 1985; "The Refugee Situation in Thailand" by Dennis Gallagher, (US) Refugee Policy Group, March 1985.
Martin Barber (BRC) said he had hoped for a discussion of major policy issues involved in this situation but unfortunately UNHCR were not yet ready to participate. This was disappointing as there were many things happening at present. He had attended a meeting at Christian Aid last month and met Jack Dunford of the Church of Christ in Thailand who had given an account of the current situation. Barber gave the following report.
Martin
Hmong refugees, a Laotian hill tribe, were still not keen to be resettled in the USA or another 3rd country, and the Thais would not let them settle in Thailand. 50,000 remained in one camp.
Ethnic Lao had been deterred from crossing into Thailand since the introduction of the "Humane Deterrence" policy in 1981. Since this policy had been relaxed last year the numbers crossing had quad- rupled. An additional reason for this influx had been the implemen- tation by the Lao Government of restrictive measures on the private economic sector and the increase of taxes on small traders. UNHCR was working with the Thai Government to introduce an eligibility procedure to determine those with a fear of persecution in Lao and those who were economic migrants. It would then be decided whether the latter would be repatriated or detained indefinitely without access to resettlement procedures.
Of Kampucheans in Thailand, there continued to be talks about voluntary repatriation to Kampuchea. Those who had crossed before 1980 and were entitled to resettlement in the USA were either unable or unwilling to take up this offer, whereas many who had crossed since then had relatives in the USA but were classified as displaced people and were therefore not eligible for the resettlement programme. The camp at Khao I Dang was being depleted. and the Thai Government moved Kampucheans in the border area regularly and at will. This
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