THE BRITISH REFUGEE COUNCIL
Chairman: SIR ARTHUR PETERSON, KCB, MVO.
Vice Chairmen:
SIR LESLIE KIRKLEY, CBE
KENNETH LEE
Honorary Treasurers: A. H. CHAPMAN, FCA H. A. SHAW, OBE
Director: MARTIN BARBER, Ph. D.
His Excellency Br 11inome F Tarwa, OBE, Papua New Guinea High Commission
# 3rd Floor
14 Waterloo Place
London SwiR KAR
7 February 1935
BONDWAY HOUSE, 3/9, BONDWAY, LONDON, SW8 1SJ.
.L.
Telephone: 01-582 6922
Cables: BREFCON, LONDON, SW8.
Dear High Commissioner
REFUGEES FROM IRIAN JAYA IN PAPUA NEW CUINEA
As Chairman of the Asia Committee of the British Refugee Council, I wrote to you on 12 June 1984 asking for your assurance that any repatriation of refugees from Irian Jaya presently in Papua New Guinea would be both voluntary and monitored by the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees.
I do not appear to have had a reply to my letter and would be most grateful if you could now give me the assurances I requested.
We understand that assurances have been received by Papua New Guinea from Indonesia that there will be no reprisals against returnees. The Asis Committee, whilst welcoming such a statement, considers this to be separate from the question of an assurance that refugees who return to Irian Jaya de so of their own volition, and that these returns are monitored by UNHCR.
I hope you will be able to give the Committee a prompt response to our requests.
Yours sincerely
Lord Ennals
Chairman
Asia Committee
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The British Refugee Council incorporates the British Council for Aid to Refugees and the Standing Conference on Refugees.