:
25.
On the other hand, while Australia has clear-cut
responsibilities under the Convention itself, these do not bind
the countries of South East Asia, none of which is a party to the
Convention or Protocol. This apparent anomaly has not interfered
with the generous response of those countries of the region which have extended the privilege of first asylum to the fleeing refugees. I refer particularly to Thailand, Malaysia, Indonesia, Hong Kong and the Philippines. The enormous sacrifices being made by those
countries emphasise not only the humanitarian nature of the
problem but the humanitarian nature of the response.
They are currently, collectively, giving refuge to some 300,000 people from Indo-China in clear recognition of the grave,
desperate nature of their predicament and of the events which have
produced it.
It demonstrates that a signature on a piece of paper does not necessarily indicate the response of individual governments.
As I have pointed out, not all countries have ratified
either or both these instruments and all too frequently the
greatest weight is still on those whose concern is demonstrated in
practical fashion through the offer of at least temporary homes to
refugees. We might well ask where Australia would be were the
ASEAN countries to close their doors to this flood of refugees.
.../26
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