"
-3-
THE PERIPHERY OF THE SOUTH CHINA SEA, THE LARGEST
ANOTHER 6,000 PEOPLE FLED FROM LAOS INTO THAILAND LAST MONTH, AND YET UNCOUNTED NUMBERS OF KHMER FLED THE FIGHTING, THE HUNGER, THE TERROR AND THE UNCERTAINITY OF CAMBODIA. THIS FLOOD
THIS MONTH THE OF DESPERATE PEOPLE IS NOT ABATING.
NUMBER IN ANY ONE MONTH, ANOTHER
ESCAPE RATE WILL, IT NOW APPEARS, FAR EXCEED THAT OF APRIL. THE EXODUS FROM INDOCHINA, THIS MONTH MAY REACH 40,000. THERE SEEMS TO BE LITTLE DOUBT THAT THE 250,000 INDOCHINESE WHO WERE IN CAMPS ON MAY 1 OF THIS YEAR WILL BE 500,000 WITHIN A YEAR,
FOR ITS PART, THE UNITED STATES IS NOW AUTHORIZING THE MONTHLY ADMISSION OF 7,000 REFUGEES FROM INDOCHINA. ANOTHER 3,500-4,000 INDOCHINESE ARE BEING RESETTLED BY OTHER NATIONS, PRINCIPALLY AUSTRALIA, FRANCE, CANADA, THE FEDERAL REPUBLIC OF GERMANY, AND OTHER NATIONS MOST OF WHICH ARE REPRESENTED AT THIS MEETING, ICEM IS PLAYING A VITAL ROLE IN THE MOVEMENT OF THESE PEOPLE.
WHAT STANDS OUT IN PAINFUL CLARITY FROM THIS RECITAL IS THE INADEQUANCY OF RESETTLEMENT PROGRAMS AGAINST
AND THERE IS A TRAGIC CONSEQUENCE RESETTLEMENT NEEDS.
•
OF THIS SHORTFALL: NEWLY ARRIVING REFUGEES ARE INCREASINGLY UNWELCOME IN SOUTHEAST ASIA AS THEY THREATEN TO UPSET THE SOMETIMES DELICATE POLITICAL AND COMMUNAL BALANCE THAT THE COUNTRIES OF FIRST ASYLUM HAVE SO CAREFULLY FOSTERED OVER THE YEARS,
IT IS EASY TO CONDEMN PRACTICES THAT ENDANGER LIVES, AND TO ASK THAT NO REFUGEES BE TURNED AWAY, AND THAT IS OUR POSITION, YET OUR COLLECTIVE AWARENESS OF
•