TNAG-0898-FCO40-1108-Refugees-from-Vietnam-in-Hong-Kong-Vietnamese-boat-people-1979 — Page 170

FCO40 Hong Kong Department Records 聯邦事務部香港部檔案 All

SOUTHEAST ASIA REFUGEES

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STATEMENT OF AMBASSADOR DICK CLARK TO UNHCR SESSION

OCTOBER 11

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MR. CHAIRMAN AND DISTINGUISHED DELEGATES:

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The United States Delegation appreciates the opportunity

to address this session once again. As I mentioned here on

Tuesday, we are deeply concerned about refugees wherever

they may be, and we feel a strong commitment to participating

in multilateral refugee assistance across the globe. We

recognize particularly the great magnitude of refugee problems

Today, however, the refugee situation in Southeast

Asia has a special urgency that no one can ignore, and it is

on that area that I wish to concentrate my remarks. The

suffering of these Indochinese refugees, and the inability

of most of them to return home or to resettle in neighboring

countries, require the renewed commitment of the rest of the

world to provide assistance and resettlement opportunities.

We are here to renew our commitment and to find new ways to

resolve this tragic situation.

Developments in the refugee crisis in Southeast Asia in

the last year have surpassed our worst expectations and have

severely tested the resources of the international community.

Yet I believe that we have managed remarkably well to meet

this new challenge, thanks in good measure to the High

Commissioner's offices in coordinating contributions and

programs of member countries. I wish to commend warmly the

devoted work of the voluntary agencies in assistance and

resettlement, and ICEM, which has helped enormously to achieve

the recent high departure rates.

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