with HKK243/1
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STANDING CONFERENCE ON REFUGEES (Registered under the Charities Act, 1960: No. 268485)
Parnell House · 25 Wilton Road · London SW1V 1JS
Chairman:
Sir H. Leslie Kirkley CBE
Den l'une In Devi
t
Telephone: 01-828 7616
Secretary: Miss N. Rice-Jones MBE Asst. to Secretary: Mrs. E.S. Dony
May 26th 1979
I am writing as Chairman of the Standing Conference on Refugees to tell you about a special Leeting of the voluntary agencies yesterday to consider the problems c. Indo-Chinese refugees in South-East Asia and the policy relating to their admission to this country.
As a result of our discussions during which we tried to view the situation as a whole we should like to emphasise the main points considered and to make the following proposals :-
•
a) This problem can ultimately only be solved by joint international action. We suggest, therefore that the Brition Government should take the initiative in the United Nations, first, by encoura ing increased support to the U High Commissioner for Reiu ees and also, through the UK dele ate, to ask the General Assembly to set side at least one day in the current programme or discussion of the situation in Indo-China and the position of Indo-Chinese refugees in urgent need of resettlement Opportunities. By this means pressure could be put to bear on those countries not yet accepting rofugees and on other countries to increase their efforts.
b) We urge that, in taking this initiative, HIG should show an example by reconising its own responsibilities and that it should state plainly its willingness to play a major part in any international action. In this connection we very much hope that, after reconsidering its policy as stated in the House of Co. mons on May 24th, the Government will en.orse the commitment made by the previous administration that the United Kingdom is prepared to accept for resettlement those reiugees, picked up on the high seas by ships re istered in Britain, who are not acceptable elsewhere. c) e fully understand the reluctance of HMG to enter into an open-ended commitment but we would like to suggest that, as an alternative, there could be a definite undertaking to accept a certain number - say 300 to 500 a month. d) The position of Hong Kong was also discussed at our meeting.
le very much hope that the Government will help to relieve the situation in every way possible and particularly by accepting numbers of the re-uees at present in the Colony or on ships anchored outside the harbour.
e e) We also stress that every effort should be made to share the heavy burden carried already for several years by countries of first asylum in South-East Asia, particularly Thailand. This could be undertaken by extending Eritish aid to the Governments concerned and by increasing the grants already promised by the Ministry of Overseas Development to the British voluntary organisations working in South-East Asia.