HFAC-SUBCOMMITTEE HEARING ON S.E. ASIA REFUGEES

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP90B01370R000801040033-3
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: C
• Document Page Count: 5
• Document Creation Date: December 22, 2016
• Document Release Date: November 30, 2010
• Sequence Number: 33
• Publication Date: April 12, 1984
• Content Type: CABLE

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C O N F I D E N T I A L
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TAGS: SREF, TH, US, MASS, UN
SUBJECT: HFAC-SUBCOMMOITTEE HEARING ON S.E. ASIA REFUGEES
SUMMARY. EAP ASST SECRETARY WOLFOWITZ AND RP DIRECTOR
PURCELL TESTIFIED BEFORE THE HFAC EAST ASIA SUBCOMMITTEE
APRIL 5. CHAIRMAN SOLARZ CALLED FOR INCREASED
ANTI-PIRACY ACTION AND SUPPORTED A SEPARATE ORDERLY
DEPARTURE PROGRAM (ODP) CEILING, AS DID SEN. MARK-
HATFIELD, WHO ALSO TESTIFIED. HATFIELD STATED HIS
OPPOSITION TO THE LUNDGREN AMENDMENT TO THE REFUGEE ACT
REAUTHORIZATION BILL AND EXPRESSED CONCERN THAT ODP
ADMISSIONS NOT COME AT THE EXPENSE OF FIRST ASYLUM
NUMBERS. IN HIS STATEMENT ASST. SEC. WOLFOWITZ STRESSED
THE IMPORTANCE OF COOPERATION ON REFUGEES TO OUR OVERALL
RELATIONSHIPS IN SOUTHEAST ASIA AND ASSURED THE
SUBCOMMITTEE THAT PIRACY AND THE PRESERVATION OF FIRST
ASYLUM WOULD BE ON THE AGENDA FOR THAI PM PREM'S VISIT.
RP DIRECTOR PURCELL'S STATEMENT OUTLINED THE GENERALLY
FAVORABLE DOWNWARD TREND IN REFUGEE ARRIVALS IN FIRST
ASYLUM VERSUS THIRD COUNTRY RESETTLEMENT AND THE
CONTINUING US COMMITMENT TO DO MORE TO END PIRACY AND
TO EXPAND ODP. THE SUBCOMMITTEE WAS PARTICULARLY
CONCERNED THAT THE $5 MILLION EARMARKED FOR ANTI-PIRACY
WAS NOT BEING USED EXPEDITIOUSLY TO STRENGTHEN THE
PROGRAM. TWO PRIVATE-SECTOR WITNESSES BOTH CALLED FOR
INCREASED USG LEADERSHIP IN SOLVING REFUGEE PROBLEMS IN
SOUTHEAST ASIA. END SUMMARY.
1. ON APRIL 5, EAP ASST SECRETARY WOLFOWITZ AND RP
DIRECTOR PURCELL TESTIFIED BEFORE THE HFAC'S EAST ASIA
AND PACIFIC SUBCOMMITTEE ON THE STATUS OF THE REFUGEE
PROGRAM IN SOUTHEAST ASIA. OTHER WITNESSES WERE SEN.
MARK HATFIELD, CHAIRMAN, SENATE APPROPRIATIONS
COMMITTEE, U.S. COMMITTEE FOR REFUGEES DIRECTOR, ROGER
WINTER AND CAMBODIAN CRISIS COMMITTEE DIRECTOR, PETER L.
POND.
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2. SOLARZ STATEMENT: SUBCOMMITTEE CHAIRMAN, STEPHEN
SOLARZ (D.-N.Y.) LED OFF WITH A SHORT STATEMENT
OUTLINING HIS PRIMARY CONCERNS WITH REGARD TO THE
REFUGEE PROGRAM: WHAT IS BEING DONE TO COMBAT PIRACY?
ARE WE DOING ENOUGH TO HELP THE THAI? HAS ANYTHING
DEVELOPED FROM SRV FOREIGN MINISTER THACH'S JUNE 1982
STATEMENT THAT THE SRV WOULD RELEASE RE-EDUCATION CAMP
PRISONERS? SHOULD AN ODP PROGRAM BE INSTITUTED FOR
CAMBODIANS? HE CLOSED BY EXPRESSING PLEASURE AT THE
RECENT ARREST AND CONVICTION OF FOUR PIRATES BY THE THAI
AUTHORITIES.
3. HATFIELD STATEMENT: SEN. HATFIELD (R.-ORE.)
COMMENDED THE DEPARTMENT FOR "TURNING AROUND" THE
REFUGEE PROCESSING SITUATION IN S.E. ASIA AND FOR THE
ANTICIPATED REACHING OF THE 50,000 ADMISSIONS CEILING
FOR THE FIRST TIME IN FY-84. HE THEN REFERRED TO TWO
CONTINUING PROBLEMS WHICH HE PERCEIVED: (1) THE LUNDGREN
AMENDMENT AND (2) THE DANGER THAT ODP ADMISSIONS WOULD
COME AT THE EXPENSE OF THOSE FROM FIRST ASYLUM
COUNTRIES. HE SAID THE LUNDGREN AMENDMENT, IF ENACTED
INTO LAW, WOULD "GUT THE WHOLE REFUGEE POLICY" BY
DRIVING VOLUNTARY AGENCIES OUT OF THE RESETTLEMENT
BUSINESS DUE TO THEIR INABILITY TO SHOULDER THE
FINANCIAL BURDEN WHICH THE AMENDMENT WOULD PLACE ON
THEM.- HE SAID HE WOULD TRY TO DELETE THE AMENDMENT FROM
THE REAUTHORIZATION BILL OR TO HAVE IT MODIFIED.
4. HATFIELD WARNED THAT INCREASED ODP ADMISSIONS COULD
MEAN A REDUCTION IN THOSE OMITTED FROM FIRST ASYLUM
COUNTRIES. HE SAID THAT MANY ODP EXIT PERMITS WERE
OBTAINED THROUGH BRIBES AND THAT IT WOULD BE UNJUST TO
ADMIT THESE PEOPLE WHILE MANY, MORE DESERVING, REFUGEES
REMAINED IN FIRST ASYLUM CAMPS. THERE WAS ALSO THE
POSSIBLE PERCEPTION THAT WE WOULD BE "TURNING OUR BACKS
ON OUR FRIENDS", THE FIRST ASYLUM COUNTRIES, WHILE
ACCEPTING REFUGEES DIRECT FROM VIETNAM. HATFIELD (AND
LATER SOLARZ) SUPPORTED THE CREATION OF A SEPARATE
CEILING FOR ODP ADMISSIONS AS A WAY PROTECTING FIRST
ASYLUM ADMISSION NUMBERS FROM ENCROACHMENT BY CDP.
5. WOLFOWITZ STATEMENT: IN HIS PREPARED STATEMENT
ASST. SEC. WOLFOWITZ SUMMARIZED THE SIGNIFICANCE OF PAST
ACCOMPLISHMENTS IN DEALING WITH THE INDOCHINESE REFUGEE
CRISIS, NOTED THAT COOPERATION IN DEALING WITH THE
CRISIS HAD SIGNIFICANTLY REINFORCED THE TRUST BETWEEN
THE U.S. AND THE KEY FRIENDLY NATIONS OF SOUTHEAST ASIA
AND POINTED TO VIETNAM AS THE REAL SOURCE AND ULTIMATE
SOLUTION OF THE REFUGEE PROBLEM. LATER, IN RESPONSE TO
QUESTIONS BY CHAIRMAN SOLARZ, WOLFOWITZ STATED THAT
ANTI-PIRACY MEASURES WOULD BE ONE OF THE TOPICS ON THE
AGENDA FOR THE TALKS WITH PRIME MINISTER PREM, AS WOULD
THE NEED FOR THAILAND TO MAINTAIN ITS FIRST ASYLUM ROLE.
6. PURCELL STATEMENT: RP DIRECTOR PURCELL DESCRIBED THE
CURRENT INDOCHINESE REFUGEE PROCESSING SITUATION, NOTING
THAT ARRIVALS IN FIRST ASYLUM WERE DOWN AND THAT
RESETTLEMENT TO THE U.S. AND OTHER THIRD COUNTRIES WAS
UP OVER LAST YEAR. HE SAID THAT HE BELIEVED THAT FIRST
ASYLUM WAS NOT CURRENTLY THREATENED IN SOUTHEAST ASIA,
BUT THAT THE U.S. AND THE INTERNATIONAL COMMUNITY HAD TO
CONTINUE TO SHOULDER THEIR RESPONSIBILITIES FOR AN
ACCEPTABLE SOLUTION OF THE REFUGEE PROBLEM FACING FIRST
ASYLUM COUNTRIES. PURCELL POINTED TO THE INCREASE IN
THE NUMBER OF ODP DEPARTURES AND THE DECREASE IN BOAT
ARRIVALS AS ANOTHER POSITIVE DEVELOPMENT. HE STRESSED
THT THE U.S. WAS PREPARED TO ACCEPT A LARGER NUMBER OF
OOP CASES. BUT THAT THE SRV STILL HAD NOT PRESENTED US
WITH EITHER A LIST OF RE-EDUCATION CAMP PRISONERS OF
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INTEREST TO US, NOR THE LONG-PROMISED LIST OF
ASIAN-AMERICANS.
7. PURCELL OUTLINED THE CONTINUING ANTI-PIRACY EFFORT
AND THE PREPARATION OF THE NEW UNHCR ANTI-PIRACY PROGRAM
SCHEDULED TO BEGIN IN JULY 1984. HE NOTED THE DECLINE
IN THE NUMBER OF PIRATE ATTACKS, AND THAT TOGETHER WITH
THE UNHCR AND THE RTG, WE WERE PLANNING A GREATLY
EXPANDED ANTI-PIRACY EFFORT. HE REFERRED TO THE RECENT
CONVICTION OF FOUR PIRATES AS A "VERY FAVORABLE AND
POSITIVE DEVELOPMENT" AND COMMENDED THE THAI GOVERNMENT
FOR THIS ACT OF DIFFICULT AND RESPONSIBLE LAW
ENFORCEMENT". PURCELL TOUCHED ON THE PLANS FOR THE USE
OF THE $5 MILLION IN EARMARKED ANTI-PIRACY FUNDS,
STATING THAT A DEFINITIVE PROGRAM WOULD HAVE TO BE
AGREED TO BETWEEN THE UNHCR AND THE RTG AND APPROVED BY
THE DONOR COUNTRIES BEFORE WE COULD BEGIN FUNDING IT.
8. PURCELL CONCLUDED HIS STATEMENT BY DESCRIBING THE
CURRENT SITUATION ON THE THAI BORDER, WHERE 228,000
KHMER REMAINED ENCAMPED. BOTH PURCELL AND WOLFOWITZ
CONFIRMED THAT, SO FAR AT LEAST, THE VIETNAMESE DRY
SEASON OFFENSIVE THIS YEAR HAD NOT OCCURRED ON THE SCALE
THAT MIGHT HAVE BEEN EXPECTED FROM PREVIOUS YEARS.
PURCELL ALSO SAID THAT WE DID NOT FORESEE WIDESPREAD
FOOD SHORTAGES IN CAMBODIA THIS YEAR, DESPITE
PREDICTIONS TO THE CONTRARY. HE ALSO INDICATED THAT THE
U.S. AND OTHER DONOR NATIONS WERE SKEPTICAL OF THE
HARVEST AND POPULATION FIGURES USED BY THE RECENT FAD
ASSESSMENT TEAM, BUT THAT WE WOULD CONTINUE TO MONITOR
THE SITUATION. (PETER POND, WHO SPOKE LATER, WAS LESS
OPTIMISTIC ABOUT THE FOOD SITUATION).
9. ANTI-PIRACY: IN THE QUESTION AND ANSWER SESSION
FOLLOWING THE PREPARED STATEMENTS, THE SUBCOMMITTEE
CONCENTRATED ON THE ANTI-PIRACY PROGRAM AND THE NEED TO
DO MORE TO END THE MURDERS, RAPES AND BEATINGS.
CHAIRMAN SOLARZ AND CONGRESSMAN GILMAN WERE PARTICULARLY
EMPHATIC ABOUT WHAT THEY PERCEIVED AS THE INADEQUACY OF
THE PRESENT ANTI-PIRACY EFFORT AND THE SLOWNESS WITH
WHICH THE EFFORT WAS BEING IMPROVED. SOLARZ SAID HE WAS
NOT PLEASED TO HEAR THAT $800,000 OF THE $5 MILLION
EARMARKED FOR ANTI-PIRACY PROGRAMS IN FY-84 HAD BEEN
CONTRIBUTED TOWARD THE CURRENT UNHCR ANTI-PIRACY
EFFORT. HE SAID THAT THE "WILL OF CONGRESS" HAD BEEN
THAT THE $5 MILLION WAS SUPPOSED TO BE "IN ADDITION" TO
THE AMOUNT HERETOFORE GIVEN TO THE UNHCR FOR ANTI-PIRACY.
10. PURCELL RESPONDED THAT THE $5 MILLION WOULD BE USED
BOTH FOR UNHCR-SPONSORED ANTI-PIRACY PROGRAMS AND,
POSSIBLY, FOR DIRECT U.S.-FUNDED PROJECTS. PURCELL
EMPHASIZED THAT HE WAS NOT SATISFIED WITH THE WAY THE
ANTI-PIRACY PROGRAM HAD BEEN GOING AND THAT THE UNHCR
ASSESSMENT TEAM AND OUR OWN ANTI-PIRACY TASK FORCE HAD
BEEN ESTABLISHED TO COME UP WITH WAYS TO IMPROVE THE
PROGRAM. WE NOW HAD THE FINDINGS OF BOTH THESE STUDIES
AND WOULD BE MOVING TO IMPLEMENT THEM AFTER JULY 1. AS
SOON AS THE UNHCR, THE RTG AND THE OTHER DONOR COUNTRIES
HAD SIGNED-OFF ON THE EXPANDED PROGRAM. SOLARZ WAS
PARTICULARLY INTERESTED IN STARTING A PROGRAM OF REWARDS
TO FISHERMEN WHO SIGHTED BOAT REFUGEES AND REPORTED
THEIR WHEREABOUTS TO THE THAI GOVERNMENT SO THAT BOATS
COULD BE DISPATCHED TO RESCUE THEM. HE THOUGHT THAT
SOME PART OF THE $5 MILLION SHOULD BE USED FOR SUCH
REWARDS. PURCELL SAID THAT PRELIMINARY REPORTS ON THE
MALAYSIAN REWARDS PROGRAM WERE GOOD.
11. ORDERLY DEPARTURE PROGRAM. AFTER ANTI-PIRACY, THE
SUBCOMMITTEE'S PRIMARY CONCERN SEEMED TO BE THE UNHCR'S
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ODP. CHAIRMAN SOLARZ ASKED IF THERE HAD BEEN ANY
PROGRESS ON OBTAINING THE RELEASE OF RE-EDUCATION CAMP
POLITICAL PRISONERS. MR. PURCELL RESPONDED THAT OUR
UNDERSTANDING OF THE SRV POSITION WAS THAT THEY WOULD
ONLY RELEASE THE INMATES IF WE WOULD GUARANTEE IN
ADVANCE TO TAKE ALL THOSE RELEASED. THIS WE WOULD NOT
DO, PURCELL STATED, AND WE CONTINUED TO PUSH FOR ICRC
ADMISSION TO THE CAMPS, THE CONDITIONS OF WHICH WE
UNDERSTOOD WERE HORRIFIC, AND FOR A CENSUS OF THE
INMATES SO WE COULD DECIDE WHO WOULD QUALIFY FOR THE ODP
PROGRAM. PURCELL ALSO NOTED THAT WE HAD GIVEN THE SRV A
LIST OF PEOPLE WE KNEW WERE IN THE RE-EDUCATION CAMPS
AND WERE QUALIFIED FOR U.S. ADMISSION, BUT SO FAR THE
SRV HAD NOT INCLUDED ANY OF THESE PEOPLE ON ITS LISTS.
IN AN EXCHANGE WITH CONGRESSMAN PRITCHARD, PURCELL
POINTED OUT THAT ALTHOUGH MANY ODP APPLICANTS HAD PAID
BRIBES TO GET OUT OF VIETNAM, IT WAS ALSO TRUE THAT BOAT
REFUGEES PAID BRIBES TO LEAVE THE COUNTRY
CLANDESTINELY. IN A DISCUSSION OF THE FY-85 CEILING FOR
SOUTHEAST ASIA, SOLARZ EMPHATICALLY ENDORSED THE IDEA OF
A SEPARATE ODP CEILING AND SAID THAT-HE HOPED THE
ADMINISTRATION WOULD MAINTAIN THE 50,000 ADMISSIONS
LEVEL FOR SOUTHEAST ASIA. MR. PURCELL RESPONDED THAT
THE ADMINISTRATION WAS PLANNING TO PROPOSE A SEPARATE
ODP CEILING FOR FY-85 AND THAT IF CONGRESS FUNDED
INDOCHINESE ADMISSIONS AT THE 50,000 LEVEL, WE WOULD
SEEK TO PROCESS REFUGEES AT THAT RATE. SOLARZ SUGGESTED
THAT SOME THOUGHT BE GIVEN TO AN ODP FOR CAMBODIA.
PURCELL SAID THAT WE HAD CONSIDERED BY NOT EXTENSIVELY
STUDIED THIS POSSIBILITY.
13. SOLARZ ALSO WANTED TO KNOW WHY MORE ASIAN-AMERICANS
WERE NOT LEAVING UNDER THE ODP PROGRAM. PURCELL STATED
THAT WE WERE STILL WAITING FOR THE SRV'S LIST OF
ASIAN-AMERICANS. HE SAID THAT THE SRV HAD AGREED TO
ALLOW SOME 600 ASIAN-AMERICANS TO LEVE IN FY-83, OUT OF
A TOTAL OF 6000 DEPARTURES DURING THAT FISCAL YEAR. OUR
BEST GUESS WAS THAT THERE WERE 6-8,000 ASIAN-AMERICANS
IN VIETNAM. WE WERE PREPARED TO PROCESS THEM AND THEIR
IMMEDIATE FAMILY MEMBERS THROUGH THE OOP WHENEVER THEIR
CASES WERE PRESENTED TO US.
14. KHMER ADMISSIONS. SOLARZ WANTED TO KNOW THE STATUS
OF THE KHMER PROCESSING AT KHAO-I-DANG AND WHETHER THERE
WAS STARVATION AMONG THE UNDOCUMENTED KHMER THERE.
PURCELL RESPONDED THAT KHMER WERE BEING PROCESSED AS A
HIGH PRIORITY AND THAT WE EXPECTED TO PROCESS ALL
ELIGIBLE KHMER BY THE END OF FY-85. HE SAID THAT WE DID
NOT BELIEVE THAT ANY OF THE UNDOCUMENTED KHMER WERE
SUFFERING FROM STARVATION.
15. STATEMENTS BY ROGER WINTER AND PETER POND. IN HIS
STATEMENT, ROGER WINTER OF THE U.S. REFUGEE COMMITTEE
CONTENDED THAT THE U.S. HAD "BACKED OFF" FROM ITS
LEADERSHIP ROLE IN REFUGEE AFFAIRS WORLDWIDE AND THAT
THE CONDITION OF REFUGEES HAD DETERIORATED AS A RESULT.
HE SAID THAT MORE HAD TO BE DONE NOW TO HELP BOAT
REFUGEES AND TO END THE PIRATE ATTACKS. HE EXPRESSED
CONCERN THAT DIMINISHING RESETTLEMENT OPPORTUNITIES
WOULD LEAD THE RTG TO TAKE DRASTIC MEASURES TO END THE
REFUGEE INFLUX. HE SAID IT WAS UP TO THE U.S. TO SPEAK
PLAINLY AT THE HIGHEST LEVEL (DURING THE PREM VISIT) IN
ORDER TO FORESTALL SUCH ACTION. WINTER ALSO WANTED TO
SEE RENEWED EFFORT TO OBTAIN THE RELEASE OF RE-EDUCATION
CAMP PRISONERS IN VIETNAM. HE FELT IT WAS UP TO THE
U.S. TO DO MORE IN THIS REGARD. PETER POND OF THE
CAMBODIAN CRISIS COMMITTEE COMMENDED THE THAI GOVERNMENT
AND PEOPLE FOR THEIR GENEROUS ASSISTANCE TO REFUGEES
OVER THE YEARS. HE CALLED UPON THE U.S. TO ACCEPT MORE
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KHMER REFUGEES FROM KHAO-I-DANG AND SAID THAT SOME
15,000 OF THEM WERE "UNDOCUMENTED", "UNFED" AND SUBJECT
TO FORCIBLE REPATRIATION BY THAILAND UNLESS THE U.S. AND
OTHER RESETTLEMENT COUNTRIES AGREED TO TAKE THEM. HE
ALSO URGED THE U.S. TO ADMIT THOSE KHMER ON THE THAI
BORDER WHO HAVE RELATIVES IN THE U.S. HE SAID THAT THE
SITUATION WITHIN CAMBODIA WAS GRIM AND THAT THE RICE
HARVEST WAS A DISASTER. THESE TERRIBLE CONDITIONS MADE
PEACE INITIATIVES EVEN MORE URGENT ND POND CALLED FOR
THE U.S. TO TAKE THE LEAD IN THIS AREA. FINALLY, POND
SUPPORTED A SEPARATE ODP CEILING COUPLED WITH A SMALL
INCREASE IN THE 50,000 FY-85 EAST ASIA ADMISSIONS
CEILING AS A WAY OF SIGNALING TO THE THAI THE NEED TO
CONTINUE TO INSURE FIRST ASYLUM. (RP/PC: 01117) SHULTZ
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