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FOLLOWING REPEAT JAKARTA 1486 ACTION SECSTATE INFO BANGKOK CANBERRA KUALA LUMPUR MANILA SINGAPORE GENEVA CINCPAC JAN 29:
QUOTE CONFIDENTI A L JAKARTA 1485
E.0. 12865: GDS 1/29/85 (ISOM, HARRIET) 'OR-P
TAGS: SREF, ID
SUBJECT: (U) FOREIGN MINISTER OFFERS ACCOMMODATION FOR REFUGEES
REF: JAKARTA 1337
1. (U) FOREIGN MINISTER MOCHTAR KUSUMAATMADJA TOLD NEWSMEN IN JAKARTA JANUARY 25 THAT INDONESIA WAS PREPARED TO PRC- VIDE TEMPORARY ACCOMMODATION FOR INDOCHINESE REFUGEES IN THE ASEAN REGION AS LONG AS THE REQUIREMENTS LAID DOWN BY ASEAN AND ITS MEMBERS ARE FULFILLED. MOCHTAR SAID HIS STATEMENT WAS MEANT TO INDICATE SOLIDARITY AMONG THE ASEAN NATIONS, ALTHOUGH SUCH ACCOMMODATION HAD IN FACT ALREADY BEEN PROVIDED TO NUMBERS OF REFUGEES.
2. (U) IN PRINCIPLE, THE ASEAN STATES WERE UNPREPARED TO RECEIVE REFUGEES DUE TO THEIR OWN POPULATION AND DEVELOP- MENT PROBLEMS, SAID MOCHIAR, BUT ON HUMANITARIAN GROUNDS REFUGEES WOULD BE GIVEN TEMPORARY ACCOMMODATION ACCORDING TO THE CONDITIONS SET FORTH BY THE ASEAN FOREIGN MINISTERS AT THEIR JANUARY 13 MEETING IN BANGKOK. THESE INCLUDED, HE NOTED. GUARANTEES FROM THIRD COUNTRIES THAT THEY WILL RECEIVE THE REFUGEES, NO SELECTION OF REFUGEES BY THIRD COUNTRIES (SO THAT ALL ARE EVENTUALLY ACCEPTED). AND THE FINANCING OF THE TEMPORARY RECEPTION CENTER IN ASEAN TERRI- TORY BY THESE THIRD COUNTRIES. MOCHTAR ADDED THAT THE REFUGEES SHOULD ACTUALLY BE RECEIVED BY "THOSE COUNTRIES WHICH IN THE PAST WERE MORE OR LESS RESPONSIBLE FOR THE INDOCHINA CONFLICTS."
3. (C) COMMENT: PRESS VERSIONS OF THE THREE CONDITIONS LISTED BY MOCHIAR VARY, AND WE ARE SEEKING A DEFINITIVE VERSION FROM THE DEPARTMENT OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS. MOCHTAR'S STATEMENT FOLLOWS INFORMATION MINISTER ALI MURTOPO'S PB- LIC REVELATION JANUARY 24 OF THE GOI'S OFFER TO PROVIDE AN ISLAND SITE FOR A TEMPORARY REFUGEE CENTER, AND IT WOULD APPEAR THAT THE UNHCR COULD NOW USEFULLY APPROACH ASEAN TO DISCUSS CONDITIONS AND SPECIFICATIONS OF THE OFFER. SUG- GEST UNHCR MIGHT WANT TO INSTRUCT ITS NEW REPRESENTATIVE
CONFIDENTIAL
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