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ignored distress signals. Regrettably, therefore, persons have been lost at sea not only when rescut was not at hand, but also as a result of disregard of distress signals.
20. The rendering of assistance to persons at sea whose lives are in danger has long been recognized as a legal obligation. In December 1978, the High
Commissioner and the Secretary-General of the Inter-Governmental Maritime Consultative Organisation made renewed appeals to Governments and, through the International Chamber of Shipping, to shipowners and masters, for the observance of the obligations incumbent upon all ships' masters towards vessels in distress) The rescue at sea of boat cases has, however, posed special difficulties.
21. From the beginning, certain Governments of the region have been unwill- jing to allow disembarkation of rescued boat cases without guaranteed resettle
ment, even though UNHCR undertook to meet the expenses incurred. While the majority of flag states or states of ownership of rescuing vessels have been ready to provide resettlement guarantees, this has not always been the case. There are indications that some Governments whose practice had previously been liberal in this regard may be reconsid.ring their position. Heavy costs have also been incurred by owners as a result of the proper and exemplary discharge of an internationally recognized obligation by their masters.
22. The situation has been exacerbated by the fact that some boats in need of rescue on the high seas had already reached land only to be turned away or towed back to sen.
23. None of these factors condones failure to meet the obligation regarding rescue at sea. However, the dilemma faced by masters in the present situation is very real.
24. Whether because their distress signals were ignored or simply never seeng boat pcople on the high seas are dying. Urgent measures must be taken to remedy this situation.
Orderly departure from Viet Nam
25.
In furtherance of a conclusion of the December 1978 Consultative Meeting UNHCR signed an Understanding with the Government of Viet Nam on 30 May 1979, concerning the orderly departure of family reunion and other humanitarian cases from that country. It is hoped that early implementation of this programme wil case the situation in some measure.
Refugee Processing Centres
20.
As a result of proposals made at the December 1978 Consultative Meeting, and a subsequent mecting in May 1979 called by the ASEAN group in Jakarta, a mission led by UNHCR has recently examined the feasibility of establishing Refugec Processing Centres on the islands of Galang and Tara, in Indonesia and the Philippines respectively. Thesc Governments have indicated that the sitesi could accommodate some 10,000 and 7,000 persons in transit. They would bɩ draf