RESTRICTED
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MOCHTAR ALSO ANNOUNCED, IN STUDIEDLY DISMISSIVE TERMS, THE PHILIPPINES' OFFER OF AN ISLAND (TARA) AS A PROCESSING CENTRE, ALTHOUGH MUCH OF THE SUBSEQUENT DISCUSSION LABOURED UNDER SOME CONFUSION WHETHER THE INDONESIAN ISLAND ALONE WAS UNDER CONSIDERA- TION OR WHETHER BOTH THE INDONESIAN AND THE PHILIPPINE ISLANDS WERE (OR INDEED ANY OTHER POSSIBLE ISLAND CENTRE THAT MIGHT BE OFFERED IN THE FUTURE).
5. THE MEETING THEN LISTENED TO PREPARED STATEMENTS BY ALL THE DELEGATIONS OF WHAT ACTIONS THEY HAD SO FAR TAKEN AND WHAT THEY MIGHT BE PREPARED TO CONTRIBUTE TOWARDS A PC (IN SOME CASES THIS DEPENDED ON THE RESULTS OF THE FEASIBILITY STUDY TO BE ORGANISED BY UNHCR). ALL COUNTRIES REPRESENTED WELCOMED THE IDEA OF A PROCESSING CENTRE OR CENTRES IN AT LEAST GENERAL TERMS, ALTHOUGH SEVERAL (NOTABLY CANADA AND FRANCE) SAID THAT THEY DID NOT THEMSELVES PROPOSE TO USE IT IN TAKING REFUGEES FOR RESETTLEMENT, AS THEY CONSIDERED THEIR EXISTING PROCEDURES WERE SUFFICIENTLY SPEEDY FOR THEM TO TAKE ALL THE REFUGEES THEY COULD ABSORB
DIRECTLY FROM THE COUNTRIES OF FIRST REFUGE.
POSITION OF HONG KONG
6. MY STATEMENT (MY TUR, PARAGRAPHE 2) AND MOCHTAR'S RESPONSE WAS REFLECTED IN THE CONCLUDING SUMMARY' IN THE FOLLOWING TERMS:
"IT WAS SUGGESTED DURING THE MEETING THAT THE FACILITIES OF THE PROCESSING CENTRES WOULD ALSO BE MADE AVAILABLE TO INDO-CHINA REFUGEES AT PRESENT HARBOURED IN OTHER THAN ASEAN FIRST REFUGE COUNTRIES.
1
ONE DELEGATION (1.E. UK) FURTHER SUGGESTED THAT ACCOMMODATION OF A LIMITED NUMBER OF INDO-CHINA REFUGEES FROM HONG KONG WOULD ENABLE HIS GOVERNMENT TO MAKE A CONTRIBUTION TOWARDS FUNDING THE
PROJECTS.
THE CHAIRMAN TOOK MOTE OF THESE VIEWS AND SAID THAT THE MATTER
WOULD BE REFERRED TO THE ASEAN MEMBERS FOR DISCUSSION**,
RESTRICTED
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