TNAG-0894-FCO40-1104-Refugees-from-Vietnam-in-Hong-Kong-Vietnamese-boat-people-1979 — Page 182

3.

After the establishment of the UN processing centre or cers the refugees under the category of boat people now in camps

in HONG KONG, THAILAND, MALAYSIA, SINGAPORE, INDONESIA and the

PHILIPPINES should be transferred to such centre or centres.

FUNDING AND ADMINISTERING

The centre or centres should be funded and administered by

the UNHCR and should be known as the UNITED NATIONS PROCESSING CENTRE

FOR VIETNAMESE REFUGEES. Security and other matters affecting sovereignty

and ownership of the land should be determined by the Government of the

UNITED STATES OF AMERICA and other Governments which offered to establish

UN processing centres but ways must be found to overcome difficulties

in the municipal law e.g. writ of Habeas Corpus either through legislation

or administrative arrangement or an agreement with the UN in order that

these UN processing centres are immune from the process of local laws.

5.

The International Red Cross should play an effective role

in this project. Other International Organisations such as the World

Food Programme of FAO and humanitarian and religious groups could also

contribute in terms of manpower and financial resources thus placing

minimal burden on the Government of the UNITED STATES of AMERICA and those

that are similarly committed to this project.

6.

There must be a firm understanding given by the UNHCR to the

Government of the UNITED STATES of AMERICA and other Governments with

UN processing centres in their countries that it would vigorously give

its best endeavours not merely to get an increase in the number of

countries as well as each country expanding its responsibility towards

this project but that eventually no refugee would be left unwanted in any

of the proposed camp. The free nations of the world must respond to this

move not orally but positively by deeds.

ROLE OF TRANSIT COUNTRIES

7.

Countries where the refugees land should lift their cordon

and provide centres to serve no more than staging posts from which

refugees would be moved to the proposed UNITED NATIONS processing centre

or centres. It would be a matter for consideration as to who should bear

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