Embassy of the United States of America
--THE INDOCHINESE REFUGEE PANEL CHAIRED BY FORMER GOVERNOR RAY EAS COMPLETED ITS DELIBERATIONS AND WILL PRESENTEDITS REPORT TO SECRETARY CF STATE SHULTZ ON APRII 18. IT WILL ALSO HOLD A PRESS CONFERENCE AND PROVIDE REPORTS TO CONGRESSIONAL LEADERS AT THAT TIME.
--THE DEPARTMENT CF STATE IS ARRANGING TO SEND A LIMITEI NUMBER OF ADVANCE COPIES OF THE FULL REPORT BY
COMMERCIAL COURIER. I WILL FORWARD A COPY TO YOU AS SCCA AS IT REACHES US.
--AS YOU MAY REMEMBER, THE INDOCHINESE REFUGEE PANEL 1S AN INDEPENDENT COMMITTEE OF DISTINGUISHED AMERICAN CITIZENS WHO WERE ASKED PY SECRETARY SHULTZ TO REVIEW THE CURRENT INDOCHINESE REFUGEE SITUATION AND MAKE RECOMMENDATIONS FOR UNITED STATES POLICIES AND PROGRAMS.
--THE PANEI REPORT DOES NOT CONSTITUTE OFFICIAL U.S. GOVERNMENT POLICIES. THESE WILL BE ENUNCIATED FOLLOWING CAREFUL REVIEW OF THE REPORT AND FUIL CONSULTATIONS AMCNG THE VARICUS SECTIONS CF THE AMERICAN GOVERNMENT AND PRIVATE SECTOR, WITH THE COUNTRIES OF FIRST ASYLUM, WITH THE RESETTLEMENT COMMUNITY, AND WITH THE INTERNATIONAL ORGANIZATIONS.
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I WANT TO HIGHLIGHT TEI PANEL ́S FINDINGS:
с THE PANEL BELIEVES THAT ALTHOUGH CONDITIONS ARE CHANGING, THE REFUGEE SITUATION IN SE ASIA CONTINUES TO WARRANT SPECIAL INTERNATIONAL RELIEF AND RESETTLEMENT EFFORTS.
C TEE PANEL RECOGNIZES THAT THE ROOTS OF THE REFUGEE SITUATION IIE WITE VIETNAM AND ITS REPRESSIVE AND EXPANSIONIST POLICIES.
C THE PANEL NCTII THAT FIRST ASYLUM CONTINUES IN THE NATIONS OF SOUTHEAST ASIA, BUT THAT THE POLICY IS CONDITIONAL ON EVIDENCE THAT THESE COUNTRIES WILL NOT EE IEFT WITH A RESIDUAL POPULATION.
C THE PANEL STATED THAT AMERICAN TRADITIONS OF BUMANITARIAN CONCERN AND RESPONSE REQUIRE CONTINUED U.S. LEADERSHIP IN AN INTERNATIONAL PROGRAM FOR INDCCHINESE REFUGEES.
--IN RESPONSE TO THESE FINDINGS, THE PANEL MADE A NUMEER CF RECOMMENDATIONS WHICH ARE KEYED TO SIX AREAS WHICH SECRETARY SEULTZ ASKED THEM TO REVIEW. THESE RECOMMENDATIONS ARE PRINTED IN FULL IN THE PAPER WEICE I WIII IEAVE WITE YOU. THEY, OF COURSE, WILL NEED TO BE STUDIED IN THE CONTEXT CF TEE FULL REPORT WHICH WE WI11 HAVE SOON.
-- FELIEVE TEE FOLLOWING MAY BE AMONG TEI MORE