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 TOP SECRET 24. Place increased emphasis on community development projects, educational programs, and other activities aimed to influence the welfare and attitudes of the people at the village level.

25. Strengthen informational, cultural and educational activities, as appropriate, to foster increased alignment of the people with the Free Wold and to contribute to an understanding of Communist aims and techniques.

26. Hold or reduce the number of U. S. officials in each county to a strict minimum consistent with sound implementation of essential programs, in order to head off an adverse political reaction to the presence of a large number of Americans in relatively privileged positions.

27. Promote increasing Asian Buddhist contact with and knowledge of the Free World. Explore with friendly religious organizations ways of developing Buddhist fraternal associations and identification with Free World religious leaders and movements.

28. Continue activities designed to encourage the overseas Chinese communities in Southeast Asia (a) to organize and activate anti-Communist groups and activities within their own communities; (b) to resist the effects of parallel pro-Communist groups and activities; (c) generally, to increase their orientation toward their local governments and toward the Free World; and (d) consistent with their obligations and primary allegiance to their local governments, to extend sympathy and support to the Chinese National Government.

29. Discreetly encourage local governments to work toward assimilation of racial minorities.

30, Implement as appropriate covert operations designed to assist in the achievement of U. S. objectives in Southeast Asia.

31. Promote economic cooperation between the countries of the area and Japan and with the Government of the Republic of China, to the extent feasible without jeopardizing the achievement of U. S. objectives toward the individual Southeast Asian countries.

32. In order to promote increased cooperation in the are and to deny the general area of the Mekong River Basin Rh