TNAG-0882-FCO40-1092-Refugees-from-Vietnam-in-Hong-Kong-Vietnamese-boat-people-1979 — Page 107

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IN A JOINT PRESS STATEMENT HE DISTRIBUTED TO REPORTERS ON BEHALF OF THE ASEAN STANDING COMMITTEE. HE SET OUT FIVE CONDITIONS FOR THE ESTABLISHMENT OF THE UNHCR PRO- CESSING CENTERE:

1. THAT FIRM COMMITMENTS CAN BE OBTAINED FROM THIRD COUNTRIES THAT THE REFUGEES BE TAKEN FROM THE PROCESSING CENTRE WITHIN A REASONABLE TIME SO. THAT THE COUNTRY OR COUNTRIES PROVIDING THE ISLAND WILL NOT BE SADDLED WITH A RESIDUAL PROBLEM; IN THE SAME WAY, THAT THE COUNTRIES OF FIRST TRANSIT SHOULD BE GIVEN COMMITMENTS SO THAT THEY WILL NOT BE SADDLED WITH A RESIDUAL PROBLEM:

2. THAT THE COUNTRIES PROVIDING THE SITE OR ISLAND FOR THE PROCESSING CENTRE SHALL HAVE THE RIGHT TO LIMIT THE NUMBER OF REFUGEES DEPENDING ON THE DEGREE OF RESPONSE FROM THIRD COUNTRIES;

3. THAT THE COUNTRIES PROVIDING THE SITE OR ISLAND FOR THE PROCESSING CENTRE SHALL RETAIN THE SOVEREIGNTY, ADMINISTRATIVE CONTROL AND SECURITY RESPONSIBILITY OVER THE ISLAND;

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THAT THE COST OF DEVELOPMENT. MAINTENANCE AND ADMI- NISTERING THE PROCESSING CENTRE AS WELL AS LOGISTICS REQUIREMENTS INCLUDING TRANSPORTATION AND TRANSFER OF INDOCHINA REFUGEES IN ASEAN COUNTRIES TO THE PROPOSED SITE SHALL NOT BE BORNE BY THE COUNTRY PROVIDING THE SITE;

5. THAT THE UNHCR AND COUNTRIES WITH DEVELOPED ECONOMIES . WHICH HAVE SHOWN CONCERN FOR HUMANITARIAN MATTERS COMMIT THEMSELVES TO MAKE THEIR CONTRIBUTIONS TO THE ALLEVIATION OF THE PROBLEM OF INDOCHINA REFUGEES WITH PARTICULAR AT- TENTION TO THE PROBLEM OF RESETTLEMENT.

"THIS IS, HOWEVER, ONLY A MEANS TO ALLEVIATE THE PROBLEM" SAID KUSUMAATMADJA OF THE PROGRAMME.

BUT THE AL SO SAID THAT ASEAN WILL ALSO TRY TO ATTACK THE . PROBLEM AT THE SOURCE BY. GETTING VIETNAM INVOLVED IN IT.

"EVENT UALLY, THEY (VIETNAM) ARE THE ONE WHO COULD STOP THE FLOW OF REFUGEES. THEY COULD HAVE THE RESPONSIBILITY TOO," HE SAID.

HE SAID THAT HE HAD ALSO DISCUSSED THE PLAN WITH CHAIR - WOMAN OF THE SUB-COMMITTEE ON IMMIGRATION, REFUGEES AND INTER NATIONAL LAW OF THE US HOUSE OF REPRESENT AT IVES MS EL IZ ABETH HOLTZMAN, WHO HE SAID EXPRESSED APPRECIA- TION FOR IT.

THE INDONESIAN MINISTER IS ON A TOUR OF THE FOUR OTHER ASEAN MEMBER NATIONS TO SOUND OUT THEIR VIEWS ON THE PROJECT AS WELL AS THE DEVELOPMENT IN THE CHINA-VIETNAM BORDER CONFLICT. UNQUOTE. ABRAMOWITZ

BT #5 799

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