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MDLIAN 2704
4.
UNHCR ARE MAKING NO PREDICTIONS AS TO WHEN THE TALKS WITH INTERESTED PARTIES ON THE REFUGEE PROBLEM WILL START, LET ALONE CONCLUDE. BUT THEY THINK THAT THE MALAYSIAN PROPOSAL OF HOLDING ANOTHER CONFERENCE LIKE GENEVA 1979 IS A NON-STARTER, SINCE THE AMERICANS HAVE APPARENTLY ALREADY SAID THEY OPPOSE THE SUGGESTION.
5. MEANWHILE THE NUMBER OF REFUGEES ARRIVING IN MALAYSIA HAS CONTINUED TO INCREASE: AND WITH THE NEWS THAT THE MALAYSIAN GOVERNMENT IS PLANNING TO CLOSE THE CAMPS IN THE NEAR FUTURE, UNHCR EXPECT A FLOOD OF REFUGEES. THE UNHCR HERE DESCRIBE THIS AS A CLASSIC CASE OF MALAYSIA SHOOTING ITSELF IN THE FOOT. THE PULAU BIDONG CAMP IS ALREADY OVERCROWDED, WITH NEARLY 9,000 PEOPLE LIVING IN ACCOMMODATION FOR 6,000: AND THE MALAYSIAN GOVERNMENT HAVE TOLD UNHCR AND THE RED CRESCENT SOCIETY THAT THEY CANNOT BUILD ANY MORE SHELTERS. SO MALAYSIA MAY FIND ITSELF ADOPTING THE SAME POLICY AS THAILAND SOONER THAN IT PLANS (ALTHOUGH IT SHOULD BE NOTED THAT IN 1981 PULAU BIDONG CONTAINED MORE THAN 40,000 REFUGEES.
6. THE UNHCR REPRESENTATIVE IS HOLDING TALKS WITH THE MFA TODAY, FOLLOWING WHICH THE MFA WILL GIVE A FULL BRIEFING TO DIPLOMATIC
WE WILL REPORT FURTHER.
REPRESENTATIVES.
BAKER-BATES
YYYY
ΜΑΙΝ
LIMITED
117
DISTRIBUTION
120
SPD
SEAD
HK
UND
LEGAL ADVISERS
WED
SED
PUSD
FED
NEWS
PS/LORD GLENARTHUR
PS MR EGGAR
PS/PUS
MR GILLMORE
MR SLATER
MR MCLAREN
ECD (I)
E CD (E)
ADDITIONAL
MRS WYETH ODA
3
MR FLESHER B1 DIV HO LUNAR HSE
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