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SHOCK AT DISCOVERING THAT REFUGEES WERE COSTING THEM 2.6BN THIS
FINANCIAL YEAR. THEY HOPED TO CUT THIS BY 800M NEXT YEAR.
44.
MEANWHILE DOUGLAS HAS DECIDED HE MUST GIVE PRIORITY TO
THAILAND. HE HOPES TO PERSUADE THE THAIS TO OPEN SIKHIU TO US
RESETTLEMENT. THE INS, HE SAID, WERE SENDING A FLYING SQUAD'
TO KAMPUT: HE HOPED THEY WOULD HAVE PROCESSED ALL THOSE KHMER
CASES BY JANUARY AND EXPECTED THEM TO TAKE MORE THAN HALF
(THOUGH KEEPING TO THE 64,000 CEILING FOR S E ASIA AS A WHOLE).
DOUGLAS ALSO PLANS TO CONCENTRATE ON BATAAN AS A TRANSIT CENTRE.
THE JAPANESE, HE SAID, WILL PROBABLY CONTRIBUTE 200M TO
TRAINING COSTS THERE IN RETURN FOR THE AMERICANS AGREEING TO TAKE
THEIR RESIDUE OF SHIP RESCUES. IT WAS URGENT, FOR PSYCHOLOGICAL REASONS, TO MAKE A START ON CLOSING SOME OF THE THAI CAMPS.
PEOPLE SHOULD BE MOVED OUT FASTER TO BATAAN. AND THE EUROPEANS
MUST DO MORE TO HELP.
5. ON THE OTHER HAND HONG KONG WAS NOT AND WILL NOT BE A US
PRIORITY. THE AMERICANS WILL GO ON PEGGING THEIR MONTHLY OFF-
TAKE, HE SAID, AT 250. IN ANY CASE AN INCREASING PROPORTION OF
ARRIVALS IN HONG KONG WERE FROM NORTH OF VINH AND FELL OUTSIDE
THE STRICTER US CRITERIA HAVING NO CONNEXIONS WITH THE USA.
AND ANYWAY HONG KONG HAD VARIOUS COMMONWEALTH COUNTRIES TO LOOK
TO'. HOWEVER, HE HINTED THAT THE US WOULD BE WILLING TO LOOK AT HONG KONG AS WELL AS OTHER FIRST ASYLUM PLACES IN THE CONTEXT
OF AN EXERCISE IN 1984 OR 85 TO DEAL WITH THE RESIDUALS'
THROUGHOUT THE AREA.
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AMBASSADOR DOUGLAS WILL BE VISITING TOKYO, MANILA AND BANG- KOK FROM 10 DECEMBER WITH PURCELL OF THE STATE DEPARTMENT'S
BUREAU OF REFUGEE PROGRAMMES. MEANWHILE HE RECOMMENDED AS A
WASHINGTON CONTACT POINT ROBERT FUNSETH AT THE BUREAU. HE
ATTENDED THE UNHCR EXCOM IN GENEVA IN OCTOBER AND MET VIETNAMESE DEPUTY FOREIGN MINISTER HA VAN LAU, RUT WOULD ALSO BE A GOOD TARGET FOR ANY QUERIES ON HONG KONG OR THAILAND.
SIGNED CMJ SEGAR
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