TNAG-0792-FCO40-996-Refugees-from-Vietnam-in-Hong-Kong-Vietnamese-boat-people-1978 — Page 10

- 3

our work its essential character and uniqueness".

"No function of our office will be more central to my concern. This office stands for the rights of the refugee, the right above all to humane treatment and human dignity." Mr. Hartling went on to say that efforts of the office will continue to develop along two inter-related lines, first to increase accession to international begal instruments and develop "refugee law", and second to intervene directly on behalf of individuals or groups.

"The granting of asylum remains" he said "a major daily concern". After recognizing that thousands of refugees have been granted asylum in numerous states, he regretted there were situations where asylum had been refused and in this regard pointed out the "tragic odyssey of the boat people in South East Asia."

He expressed the hope that governments would follow the example taken by certain governments who are accepting for resettlement those "boat people" who are rescued by ships flying their flags. However "too often we learn of boats moving from shore to shore or ships that have rescued people being penalized by not being allowed in port or being delayed there needlessly. It seems to me that we must all co-operate with greater seriousness to tie together a number of actions: rescue at sea and disembarcation are dependent on generous asylum policies. These in turn are related to resettlement possibilities in third countries. The latter must be swift in procedure and result." The High Commissioner also stated "in all cases where asylum is in jeopardy or where we learn of the threat of refoulement, or the arbitrary and prolonged detention of refugees without trial, I consider it the duty of UNHCR to intervene."

Concluding, the High Commissioner said "Above all, we must resist the tendency to think that there are facile, general solutions to what are, ultimately, individual, specific problems. We must proceed with an acute sense of the uniqueness of each situation and of each human being whom we are called upon to assist."