TNAG-0888-FCO40-1098-Refugees-from-Vietnam-in-Hong-Kong-Vietnamese-boat-people-1979 — Page 120

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STANDING CONFERENCE ON REFUGEES

Parnell House . 25 Wilton Road. London SW1V 1JS

Tel· 01-828 7616

ASIA

COMMITTEE

MINUTES of the Meeting held at 10.30 a.m. on 11 April 1979 in the Library, 5th floor, Parnell House, 25 Wilton Rd. SW1

PRESENT

CHAIRMAN:

Rev. G. Jackson, OBSERVERS: Mr. C. Birt (Immigration & Nationality Dept., Home Office), Mr. J. Heidler (Rep. in the UK of the UNHCR), Mr. V.J. McGee (FAO Dept. ODM), Mr. P. Morgan (UN Dept.FCO),

ORGANISATIONS: Rev. P. Ashe (Project Vietnam Orphans), Miss S. Balfour (BRCS), Dr. and Mrs. G. Barclay (Gordon Barclay Vietnam Fund), Miss F. Blackett (Tibet Society), Miss B. Bowman (Quaker Peace & Servic Mrs. M. Dines (War on Want), Mrs. G. Eedle (Wings of Friendship), Mr. B. Llewellyn (Oxfam), Dr. J. McMichael, (Medical & Scientific Ald for Vietnam), Mrs. N. Morley-Fletcher (BCAR), Mr. H. S. Morrow (YMCA), Mr. P. Penfold (Cambodia for Christ), Miss J. Pearce (Ockenden), Miss W. I. Rouse (Inter. Social Service of GB), Mr. P. Shelley (SCF) Miss N. Rice-Jones (Secretary), Mrs. E. Dony (Asst to Secretary)

In Attendance: Mr. R. White Apologies for Absence:

Lord Elton, Mr. P. Goodhart, Mr. M. Hawkes (CA Mr. A. Phillips (WUS)

Minutes of the meeting held on 22 January 1979 which had been circulated, were confirmed and signed with the following amendments -

a) Minute 3a) Page 2

i) sub para 3 to read "The UNHCR was not directly involved

In the operational side

1!

ii)

sub para 6

to be deleted

iii)

sub para 8

<

1st sentence to be deleted

iv) sub para 9

at end of para "by the UNHCR" to be deleted and in due course" to be substituted.

v)

sub para 12 - 4th sentence to read "The estimated costs for

the return programme to Burma was $7.5 million"

Business Arising

a) Bangladesh and Burma

According to a report in The Observer of April 1st it was expected that repatriation would be completed at an early date but that for various reasons, some 26,000 refugees would have to remain in Bangladesh.

Other sources estimated that on 30 March 83,307 were still in Bangladesh and over 105,000 had returned. The Red Cross and some other agencies had reservations about these figures. It was difficult to give exact statistics until the head count for rations had been completed

The Bangladesh Government had agreed that families with a child attending the feeding unit should be deferred repatriation. All returning had to give proof of having lived in Burma.

Two camps in Bangladesh were due to close in April and May

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