Kampuchea Committee concerned about attacks along border; Kampucheans face food shortage.

The Ad Hoc Committee of the International Conference on Kampuchea has reiterated its concern over "increased tension" resulting from armed attacks occurring along the Thai-Kampuchean border in late March and early April.

In a statement on 6 April, issued jointly by the Conference President Willibald Pahr (Austria) and Committee Chairman Massamba Sarre (Senegal), the Committee said the attacks had "reportedly spilled over into Thailand and led several thousand Kampucheans to seek refuge on Thai territory".

It appealed to all parties concerned to "put an end to any military action which would further aggravate the risks of confrontation, and hinder the diplomatic efforts" aimed at a political settlement.

On 21 February, the Committee had noted the "possibility of a renewed deterioration" of the situation involving armed attacks against civilian camps along the border during the dry season. It was convinced, it said, that the question of Kampuchea "can only be solved through peaceful means" in accordance with the principles set out in the 1981 Conference Declaration.

The Ad Hoc Committee was established by the International Conference on Kampuchea, convened in New York in July 1981. Its mandate, as stated by the General Assembly, is to consult with interested Governments with a view to facilitating progress towards a comprehensive political settlement of the Kampuchean question. The matter has been before the Assembly since 1979, following the outbreak of hostilities between Democratic Kampuchea and Viet Nam in december 1978.

The 1981 Conference Declaration set out four principal components of a just and lasting settlement: withdrawal of all foreign forces from Kampuchea; restoration and preservation of its independence, sovereignty and territorial integrity; the right of the Kampuchean people to determine their own destiny; and commitment by all States to non-interference and non-intervention in Kampuchea's internal affairs. Kampucheans face food shortage

Kampuchea is facing an acute food shortage this year, with at least 175,000 tons of cereals needed to meet basic minimum requirements inside the country, Sir Robert Jackson reported to a special meeting on 1 March of donors to the Programme of Humanitarian Assistance to the Kampuchean People.

Due to the condition of agricultural production generally and the "erratic monsoon", maize, fruits and vegetables, which had been a mainstay during 1981 shortages, would not be available on the same scale this year, he said. The rice harvest had suffered, and animal and mechanical power were in short supply. Shortages were most likely from July through December.

Sir Robert, the Secretary-General's Representative to co-ordinate humanitarian programmes in Kampuchea since 1980, reviewed projections and statistics at the day-long session, at which United Nations officials and representatives of Governments and international organizations exchanged views.

A number of details emerged from these discussions:

* The number of refugees in holding centres was now below 50,000, an encouraging development according to the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR). Some 27,500 persons had arrived in countries of resettlement in 1983. Some 10,000 more were at refugee processing centres waiting to go to third countries.

* UNHCR was undertaking efforts to encourage voluntary repatriation, to both Kampuchea and the Lao People's Democratic Republic, by creating basic economic conditions in villages.

* Some 81 per cent of the border population were receiving direct assistance from the United Nations Border Relief Operation (UNBRO) and from Thai authorities.

* Agricultural experts of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), after visiting six provinces in Kampuchea, said the agricultural situation this year was worse than last year. The number of acres cultivated was below average, and even part of that area was lost to flooding. Infant mortality was high, and malaria was rampant. The animal population had been reduced from 3 to 1.7 million. A lack of spare parts hampered machinery use, much of the rice harvested was lost because of the manual process used, and there were no food reserves left in the Country.

Sir robert...