Foreign Relations of the United States, 1977–1980, Volume XXII, Southeast Asia and the Pacific

217. Telegram From the Department of State to the Embassy in Indonesia¹

Washington, July 31, 1979, 2112Z

198839. Subject: Murdani Call on Vice President.

Confidential entire text.

Summary: In meeting with General Murdani of Indonesia, Vice President Mondale requested that Murdani convey to President Suharto keen interest of both President and Vice President in establishment large reprocessing center in Indonesia. End Summary.

1. On July 31 General Benny Murdani of Indonesia, accompanied by Ambassador Ashari and Under Secretary Newsom called on Vice President Mondale. Vice President welcomed Murdani, expressed appreciation for hospitality Vice President and Mrs. Mondale had received last year in Indonesia, and stressed keen and continuing US interest in success of ASEAN countries.

2. Referring to his own participation in Geneva meeting,² Vice President then invited Murdani’s comments on refugee situation. Murdani acknowledged there had been some confusion at the time of the Bali meeting over the possible establishment of a large reprocessing center in Indonesia and said that he hoped this could be worked out. The problem, he said, involved Indonesian relations with Malaysia and Singapore and suggested that these had somehow been complicated by the establishment of a smaller processing center on Galang Island. Thought was being given to a larger reprocessing center in the eastern part of Indonesia but that President Suharto still had to be convinced of its appropriateness. Murdani said that ironclad guarantees that all of the refugees would be taken away were essential to Indonesian cooperation.

3. The Vice President said that an Indonesian move of this kind paralleling that made by the Philippines would be of great help. He assured Murdani that the US would do everything possible to guarantee that the refugees would be taken for permanent resettlement in other countries. He mentioned the US commitment to take 14,000 a month and the strong support in the Congress for this policy. When he suggested that this would represent half of all refugees to be resettled, General Murdani said that all wanted to come to the US. The Vice President countered by saying that it was not unfair to ask that refugees in their circumstances consider satisfactory resettlement in other countries such as Canada and France.

4. The Vice President asked General Murdani to convey his views and that of the President on the importance of resolving the refugee issue and the importance of an Indonesian contribution of a further reprocessing center.³ General Murdani said that he would do this.

5. The Vice President commented that he hoped that as a result of the Geneva meeting that Vietnam would begin to control the exit of potential refugees so that the flow could be in a more humane manner. General Murdani acknowledged that the number was now reduced but suggested that this may be because of weather conditions. He was not optimistic about long term Vietnamese cooperation.

Vance

1. Source: National Archives, RG 59, Central Foreign Policy File, D790347–0187. Confidential; Priority; Exdis. Drafted by Newsom; cleared by Denis Clift, Holbrooke, Robert Clark (S/R), and Richard Castrodale (S/S-O); approved by Newsom. Sent for information Priority to Bangkok, the Mission in Geneva, Kuala Lumpur, Manila, Singapore, Beijing, Hong Kong, and Tokyo.
2. Mondale led the U.S. delegation to the July 20–21 conference in Geneva on refugees.
3. According to telegram 12637 from Jakarta, August 8, a refugee processing center opened on Galang Island in late 1979. (National Archives, RG 59, Central Foreign Policy File, D790362–0619)