403. Memorandum From the President’s Assistant for National Security Affairs (Kissinger) to Secretary of Defense Schlesinger, Deputy Secretary of State Ingersoll, and Director of Central Intelligence Colby, Washington, August 5, 1975.1 2
THE WHITE HOUSE
WASHINGTON
ACTION
August 5, 1975
MEMORANDUM FOR:
SECRETARY OF DEFENSE
DEPUTY SECRETARY OF
STATE
DIRECTOR OF CENTRAL INTELLIGENCE
SUBJECT: Indochina Refugees in Thailand
As a result of Pathet Lao actions to gain complete control of the Provisional Government of National Union in Laos, approximately 23,000 Meo tribesmen have been forced to seek refuge in Thailand. There is every reason to believe that these Meo refugees will desire to remain in Thailand as long as the Communists control Laos.
Spokesmen for the Royal Thai Government have indicated Thai willingness in principle to permit the Meo to remain in Thailand if adequate financial assistance is provided by the United States.
It is requested that a working group comprising representatives of the addressees, and under the chairmanship of the representative of the Department of State, on a priority basis develop a plan for the permanent resettlement of the Meo refugees in Thailand. Knowledge of this plan should be limited to a strictly need-to-know basis. This plan should be forwarded for the President’s review no later than August 15, 1975.
[signed]
Henry A. Kissinger
cc: Chairman, Joint Chiefs of Staff
Director, Office of Management
and Budget
- Source: Ford Library, National Security Adviser, Presidential Country Files for East Asia and the Pacific, Box 17, Thailand [12]. Secret. Sent for action. Copies were sent to the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff and the Director of the Office for Management and Budget.↩
- Kissinger asked the Departments of Defense and State, and the CIA to develop a plan for the permanent resettlement of the Meo refugees in Thailand.↩