ZCZC
HPLNCN 6271 BDHPAN 4039
RESTRICTED
TT FCOLN
FM BANGK TO FCOLN
17070OZ JUN
GRS 600
RESTRICTED
FM BANGKOK
TO TELELETTER FCO
TELELETTER U/N
OF 1707002 JUNE 86
FROM P L BEAN, BRITISH EMBASSY, BANGKOK
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the Nash & chismisel
Awa 54.
tapeed a MK Ging resettlest persity
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at the moment.
246.
15/1525 CE240
RA
Ms: Resettlement in Ulc
HKK 243/9
RECEIVED IN REGISTRY
FOLLOWING FOR STEPHEN NASH ESQ, SEAD,FCO
27 JUN 1986
DESK OFFICER INDEX
PA
REGISTRY Action Takes
KHAO 1 DANG REFUGEE CAMP
1. SQDN LDR PRASONG SONNSRI, SECRETARY-GENERAL OF THE NATIONAL SECURITY COUNCIL, CALLED A MEETING ON 13 JUNE WITH AMBASSADORS FROM THE FIVE MAJOR REFUGEE RESETTLEMENT COUNTRIES, USA, CANADA, AUSTRALIA, FRANCE AND NEW ZEALAND AND THE UNHCR OFFICE HERE
2. WE HAVE BEEN TOLD THAT PRASONG TOUCHED ON THE GLOBAL NATURE OF THE PROBLEM OF INDO-CHINA REFUGEES, AND MORE ESPECIALLY ON THE PROBLEM FOR THAILAND, HE DESCRIBED THE DOWNWARD TREND IN RESETTLEMENT FIGURES AS DEPRESSING AND EXPRESSED CONCERN THAT THE RESTRICTIVE CRITERIA OF RESETTLEMENT COUNTRIES FOR TAKING REFUGEES HAD LED TO A WORSENING OF THE SITUATION, WHEREBY THE NUMBER BEING RESETTLED HAD FALLEN EVERY MONTH SO FAR THIS YEAR. HE PROPOSED THAT RESETTLEMENT GOVERNMENTS SHOULD CONCENTRATE ON TAKING THE REFUGEES FROM KHAO I DANG. HE WAS PREPARED TO ALLOW THE RATION CARD HOLDERS (THOSE WHO HAD ARRIVED AFTER THE CUT-OFF DATE FOR REFUGEE STATUS, BUT BEFORE THE END OF 1984) TO BE INCLUDED,
IN ADDITION TO THE 'REFUGEES', FOR ELIGIBILITY FOR RESETTLEMENT.
*
HE INITIALLY GAVE THE REPRESENTATIVES OF THE GOVERNMENTS PRESENT FOUR MONTHS TO CONSIDER THE SITUATION (18LYING THAT IF THE
SITUATION HAD NOT BY THEN IMPROVED, HE WOULD CLOSE THE CAMP). HOWEVER
AFTER STATEMENTS BY UNHCR AND OTHERS PRESENT, HE EXTENDED THIS PERIOD TO 6 MONTHS TO BE FOLLOWED BY A FURTHER SUCH MEETING TO **REVICH THE POSITION**. PRASONG ALSO SALD. THAT THIS WAS ONLY INE *Postmedici HESHOULD BE HABANG MEETINGS WITH OTHÉE. THI
COUNTRIES. ALL COUNTRIES SHOULD BE PREPARED TO TAKE MORE REFUGEES. UNHCR HAVE PUBLICLY SUPPORTED PRASONG'S CALL FOR
AN INCREASE IN RESETTLEMENT TO THIRD COUNTRIES,
COMMENT
3. THIS MEETING, WHICH HAS RECEIVED CONSIDERABLE PUBLICITY LOCALLY, IS SEEN BY THE MAJOR RESETTLEMENT COUNTRIES AS AN ATTEMPT TO PROD THEM INTO TAKING MORE REFUGLES, ESPECIALLY FROM KHAO I DANG. HERE THE RESIDUE OF REFUGEES LEFT AFTER EXTENSIVE INTERVIEWING AND RESETTLEMENT ARE CONSIDERED TO BE THE MOST DIFFICULT CASES TO RESETTLE IN THIRD COUNTRIES. MANY OF THIS NUMBER, TOTALLING AROUND 14,000, HAVE BEEN INTERVIEWED BY SEVERAL DIFFERENT COUNTRIES WITHOUT SUCCESS. PRASONG IS KNOWN TO BE UNHAPPY AT WHAT INCREASINGLY APPEARS TO BE A HARD-CORE OF LONG STAYING REFUGEES AT KHAO I DANG, WHO HAVE A DIMINISHING CHANCE OF LEAVING THAILARE.
4. WHILST PRASONG HAS REGULARLY TAKED EACH YEAR IN TERMS
OF CLOSING THE CAMP, THIS LATEST MOVE APPEARS TO BE HIS MOST SERIOUSLY INTENTIONED THREAT TO DATE, AND COULD PRESAGE A GENUINE DESIRE TO DISPENSE WITH KHAO 1 DANG AND INTEGRATE THE REFUGEES WITHIN THE ENCAMPMENTS FOR DISPLACED PERSONS ALONG THE BORDER. UNHCR HAVE GIVEN PUBLIC SUPPORT TO PRASONG'S CALL FOR GREATER EFFORTS TO TAKE MORE REFUCEES BECAUSE OF THEIR SHARED CONCERN AT THE PLIGHT OF THESE **LONG STAYERS**.
S. WE CONSIDER IT LIKELY THAT WE TOO WILL BE, AT SOME STAGE, PRESSED BY PRASONG TO TAKE MORE REFUGEES. WE ARE CONSIDERING WHAT LINE WE SHOULD TAKE IN THIS CASE, BUT ANY CURRENT GUIDANCE YOU COULD LET US HAVE WOULD BE WELCOME.
6. LETTER FOLLOWS
SIGNED P L BEAN
YYYY
BDHPAN 4039
ANNH