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001233 MDLIAN 6281
SOME SINHALESE
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SEE PARA 4 BELOW) ELIGIBLE FOR UNHCR HELP WOULD BRING THE TOTAL CLOSE TO THE TARGET OF 75,000 TO BE RETURNED BY THE END OF 1988 (MY TELNO 49, PARA 6).
4. UNHCR HAD BEEN TRANSPORTING REFUGEES TO JAFFNA SINCE MID-APRIL, AND OVER THE NEXT FEW WEEKS WOULD ATTEMPT TO SETTLE 100-150 OF THESE IN TRINCOMALEE. UNHCR CONSIDERED THAT THE ADDITIONAL 3 DAYS SAILING MADE SHIPPING DIRECT TO TRINCOMALEE IMPRACTICABLE. UNHCR WAS ALREADY HELPING DISPLACED SINHALESE IN REFUGEE CAMPS IN
TRINCOMALEE.
5. SAMPATKUMAR SAID THAT REPATRIATION WAS ''BY AND LARGE'' VOLUNTARY. INDIAN OFFICIALS WERE UNDER FIRM INSTRUCTIONS
FROM THEIR GOVERNMENT NOT (NOT) TO RETURN INDIAN PASSPORT HOLDERS. UNHCR AND THE INDIAN AUTHORITIES LIASED CLOSELY ON UNWILLING CASES, THREE OF WHOM A SRI LANKAN WOMAN MARRIED TO AN INDIAN AND TWO TAMIL EX-MILITANTS HAD BEEN SHIPPED BACK TO INDIA AT THEIR REQUEST AFTER RETURNING TO SRI LANKA.
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6. UNHCR WAS GRADUALLY MAKING PROGRESS HELPING REFUGEES
TO REINTEGRATE, IN COOPERATION WITH THE SRI LANKAN MINISTRY OF REHABILITATION AND OTHER MINISTRIES.
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SHORTFALL
REFERRING TO UNHCR'S PREDICTION OF US DOLLARS 8.9 M AND SAMPATKUMAR'S PLEA FOR MORE DONOR PLEDGES, THE AUSTRALIAN CHARGE ASKED WHAT COUNTERPART' FUNDS THE SRI LANKAN GOVERNMENT WAS CONTRIBUTING TO THE REPATRIATION/RESETTLEMENT PROGRAMME. SAMPATKUMAR DID NOT HAVE FIGURES BUT ESTIMATED A MAXIMUM EQUIVALENT TO 10 PER CENT OF EXTERNAL INPUT. HE UNDERTOOK TO SUPPLY DETAILS.
8. SAMPATKUMAR SAID THAT THE UNHCR'S MODIFIED POSITION ON
SRI LANKAN TAMIL ASYLUM SEEKERS IN EUROPE WAS A SIGNIFICANT SHIFT WHICH HE WOULD PREFER EUROPEAN GOVERNMENTS NOT (NOT)
TO PUBLICISE. THE GOVERNMENT OF SRI LANKA WAS CONTENT
FOR UNHCR TO EXTEND ITS REMIT TO COVER ASSISTANCE TO RETURNED
A SYLUM SEEKERS, BUT UNDUE PUBLICITY WOULD STEP ON GOSL
SENSITIVITIES, AS WOULD UNMANAGEABLE NUMBERS. SAMPATKUMAR PLEADED FRO EUROPEAN GOVERNMENTS NOT (NOTL) TO RETURN ASYLUM-SEEKERS BY THE PLANE LOAD.
COMMENT
9. SAMPATKUMAR'S REQUEST (PARA 8 ABOVE) SEEMS REASONABLE. I RECOMMEND
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