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read: "Mr. Heidler expressed his satisfaction at the undertaking of IMG to guarantee acceptance of boat people picked up by ships registered in the UK".
3. Business Arising
a) Minute 3b) Scheme for Resettlement of Laotian Refugees in Bolivia
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Mr. Heidler reported: This had been started by the American voluntary agency Food for Hungry. It was a complicated situation. A member of the Bolivian Government had agreed to consider this and procedures for the selection of refugees in Thailand had been discussed. However the plan was prematurely publicised and this was not welcomed by the Minister concerned. Since then there has been a change of govern- ment. No further progress had been made recently. Finance was not the problem but tactful handling would be necessary if the scheme were to be revived.
b) Minute 5) Situation in Indo-China
Mr. Heidler reported that during the High Commissioner's visit to Vietnam in September the programme for the settlement of refugees of Kampuchean and Chinese origin from Kampuchea had been discussed. As details had not been ready for the UNHCR Executive Committee meeting in October, only a general outline had been submitted.
$3.7 million was needed in 1979 for this programme, for which allocations of $750,000 had been made in 1978. In addition to local settlement there would be resettlement from Vietnam of those wanting to go to other countries.
The programme, started in 1974/75 for persons displaced by the previous war, had been completed last year in terms of financing; implementation continued. The ICRC was running an emergency assistance programme for the 750,000 DPs of Vietnamese origin displaced by the war with Kampuchea.
Sister Bagen (CAFOD) would be going to Vietnam in December and would speak at the next meeting.
No further news had been heard of Richard White but further efforts were being made to get in touch with him.
Mr. Morrow reported that Worlds YMCA was still represented in Vietnam by a member of the Japanese YMCA. He was working on behalf of the Asia Christian Council. During recent talks a Vietnamese Government offic ial had said he hoped the next visit would be in the name of the YMCA itself.
c)
Minute 7 Bangladesh - Refugees from Burma
Mr. Llewellyn (Oxfam) had been very discouraged about the operation for the return of refugees to Burma. Few were actually going back and the programmes in the camps were still needed. There was concern about conditions
especially for children the international presence were withdrawn at the end of 1978.
Mr. Heidler reported that there had been recent speeding up of the operation.
In October the following figures were given of numbers who had returned:
if
On October 24
On October 27
448 138
On October 30
529 1115
Total
Reasons for delays were probably that there was a general reluctance to return until it was certain that assurances of Burmese Government were genuine and also that there was a feeling in the camps that if the groups divided up there would be weakening of their bargaining power. Some leaders had been working against immediate return, but now there was a serious attempt on the part of the refugees to find out the situation in Burma.
UNHCR had been asked to help with reception and rehabilitation of the returnees. Immediate relief was needed general supplies clothing, medicines and transport. It was too early to make detailed plans for re abilitation.
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