Suggested amendments to draft Submission on Indo-Chinese "Small Boat" Refugees
Para 3: deleted fifth sentence beginning "However, many of the countries
and insert "Some countries bordering the South China Sea (eg Singapore, Indonesia) refuse permission for rescued refugees to be landed because they feel themselves to be already saturated with Indo-Chinese refugees whose departures to countries of permanent settlement is taking an increasingly long time, mainly because the number of resettlement places offered by the international community does not match the number of refugees needing resettlement. Others (eg Japan, Brunei) refuse permission for the refugees to land for a variety of other reasons, including fear of disturbing the local population or of some communist infiltration or through a lack of local facilities with which to cope with the refugees once landed."
Para 4: delete final sentence and substitute "Our experience has shown that British vessels have gone out of their way to answer distress calls from groups of refugees; the General Council of British Shipping has, however, expressed the serious concern of its members over the operational burden placed upon them by the present situation".
Para 5:
penultimate sentence should read "It is understood that similar undertakings have in the past been given by Norway, France, West Germany, USA, Algeria, Liberia and Israel".
Para 8, line 3: insert "registered" between the words "British" and "ships".
Para 8, line 11: delete "Sultan" and insert in its place "Brunei authorities".
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