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ANGLO AMERICAN DISCUSSION ON SOUTH-EAST ASIA IN THE FOREIGN AND COMMONWEALTH OFFICE ON FRIDAY, 16 NOVEMBER 1979 AT 10.30 AM

Mr H A H Cortazzi, DUSS

Mr D F Murray, AUSS

-

Mr A M Simons, Head,

South-East Asian Department

Mr R A Longmire,

South-East Asian Department

Present

Mr R Holbrooke, Assistant

Secretary of State for East Asia and the Pacific, State Department

Miss Priscilla Clapp, Director of South-East Asian Affairs, State Department

Mr Brunson McKinley, First

Secretary (Political) US Embassy

THE SITUATION ON THE THAI-CAMBODIAN FRONTIER

1.

After the preliminary courtesies, Mr Holbrooke said that it might be useful if he gave his reactions to the current situation

along the Thai-Cambodian border, which he had visited twice within the past three weeks, and also on Cambodia generally. The Cambodian problem was composed of three overlapping parts: (a) human- itarian (b) the situation on the border, and (c) the possibility of a political settlement for Cambodia.

2. The US took the view that, while it was admittedly difficult to separate the humanitarian side from the political, the first priority was to help starving Cambodians. Massive assistance was needed; this would not only benefit Cambodia but would stabilise the situation in Bangkok where Prime Minister Kriang sak was under great political pressure and his position was shaky. Mr Holbrooke claimed that it was as a result of his advice that General Kriangsak had made

his 19 October statement of the Thai Government's intention to allow

increased numbers of refugees into Thailand. The US was willing to take more refugees for resettlement (although this would mean that they could take fewer from eg Hong Kong).

3. Only people who had been to the border could realise the full strategic and political implications.

People were collapsing in the Many refugees had been moved

open fields; many children had died. to a new camp at Sa Keow, 50 kilometres from the border, into which

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CONFIDENTIAL

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