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NATIONS UNIES UNITED NATIONS
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UNITED NATIONS OFFICE AT GENEVA
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110.
Office of the High Commissioner for Refugees.
Press Release REF/1383 28 March 1979
HIGH COMMISSIONER MEETS WITH INDONESIAN FOREIGN MINISTER
ON REFUGEE SITUATION IN SOUTH-EAST ASIA
His Excellency Professor Mochtar Kusumaatmadja, Foreign Minister of Indonesia met Mr. Poul Hartling, United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees on 27 March 1979. They reviewed the situation of refugees and displaced persons in South-East Asia and the efforts being made to find durable and humane solutions for the problems being faced.
In the course of the discussion, and in his capacity as current Chairman of the ASEAN Standing Committee, Professor Mochtar elaborated on the ASEAN proposal of 21 February in regard to a processing centre that would facilitate the resettlement of Indochinese refugees from the
area.
Professor Mochtar stated that such a centre would be intended for the processing of those refugees for whom a commitment existed that they would be resettled in other countries, but who could not be processed for departure by countries of resettlement in a relatively short time. Such an arrangement would ensure that there would be no residual problem for the country providing the site for a centre.
Professor Mochtar indicated that those accorded priority status by countries of resettlement would continue to be processed from existing facilities in countries of first asylum. It was the view of the ASEAN Group that the costs relating to the proposed centre should be borne by the international community, rather than by the country providing the site. To this end, it was hoped that UNHCR would seek the necessary funds, to which effort the ASEAN countries would lend their support.
As Foreign Minister of Indonesia, Professor Mochtar confirmed that his Government would make available a suitable site for the processing centre. He suggested that this might be on Pulau Rempang in the Riau Archipelago which, together with another possible alternative site, could be surveyed for feasibility. He added that the capacity of the centre should be in the magnitude of 5-10,000 persons.
Les communiqués sont destinés à l'information; ils ne constituent pas des documents officiels
For use of information media; not an official record
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