PAGE THREE UN S0712 UNCLAS
WHOLE REFUGEE PROBLEM IN SOUTHEAST ASIA, INCLUDING THE POLITICAL
CAUSES OF THE EXODUS.
CAPADA HAS ALSO EXPRESSED OUR SERIOUS CONCERN TO THE GOVERNMENTS
OF INDONESIA, MALAYSIA AND THAILAND, OVEK RECENT ANNOUNCEMENTS
CONCERNING THEIR REFUGEE POLICIES, PARTICULARLY THE IR REPORTED
DETERMINATION THAT NEW ARRIVALS SHOULD BE FORCED JACK 10 SEA.
WHILE RECOGNIZING THE VERY HEAVY BURDEN COUNTIES OF FIRSI ASYLUM
HAVE WILLINGLY ASSUMED BY OFFERING TEMPORARY HAVEN TO REFUGEES,
CANADA NEVERTHELESS BELIEVES THAT ANY CONCERTED INTERNATIONAL
SCTION OF THIS DISTRESSING PROBLEM MUST INCLUDE THE MAINTENANCE OF
AN OPEN FIRST ASYLUM POLICY. THE MINISTERS NOTE THAT THE UNIVERSAL
DECLARATION OF HUMAN RIGHTS, PROCLAIMED BY THE UNITED NATIONS
GENERAL ASSEMBLY, PLACES AMONG THE BASIC RIGHTS OF MANKIND THE
RIGHT TO SEEK AND ENJOY ASYLUM FROM PERSECUTION.
APART FROM ACTION ON THE INTERNATIONAL POLITICAL FRONT,THE
GOVERNMENT HAS CONCLUDED THAT CANADAS DOMEST IC PROGRAM FOR THE
RESETTLEMENT OF REFUGEES MUST BE REVIEWED IN LIGHT OF THE
SERIOUSLY DETERIORATING SITUATION. AS A RESULT, THE TWO MINISTERS
ANDOUNCED TODAY PLANS TO INCREASE BY 3,000 THE GOVERNMENTS
ESETTLEMENT COMMITMENT FOR INDOCHINESE REFUGEES, BRINGING TO
12,000 THE TOTAL CANADIAN COMMITMENT FOR 1979.
LATE LAST YEAR, THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT ANNOUNCED A REFUGEE
RESETTLEMENT PROGRAM FUR 10,200 KEFUGEES WORLD-WIDE WITH 5,000
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