TNAG-0899-FCO40-1109-Refugees-from-Vietnam-in-Hong-Kong-Vietnamese-boat-people-1979 — Page 204

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further elaborated and studied by Governments.

The ASEAN Foreign Ministers, in their statement at Bangkok on 21 February 1979, had declared their readiness, subject to a number of principles and conditions, to make a positive and concrete contribution by providing a place or places in the ASEAN region to serve as sites for refugee processing centres. At a conference held at Jakarta on 15 and 16 May 1979, the Government of Indonesia offered to accept up to 10,000 refugees at any one tine. The Government of the Philippines had also announced at the meeting held on 20 and 21 July that a site offered by his Government with a capacity of 7,000 persons would be increased to a capacity of 10,000 persons and that, "under United Nations funding and on the principle of no residuals" an additional processing centre would be offered which would hold a maximum of 50,000 refugees.

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B. UNHCR follow-up missions

25. To follow up on the various offers, UNHCR missions took place at a senior level, both before and immediately after the July Meeting. During these missions, the modalities of the establishment of refugee processing centres were discussed with the two Governments concerned. In the feasibility studies, UNHCR has been assisted by the Governments of Indonesia and the Philippines and by international teams of experts and consultants, mainly from Japan and Switzerland. Furthermore, UNHCR has signed an agreement with the Government of Switzerland which provides for technical co-operation in the establishment of the centre in Indonesia; a similar agreement is expected to be signed shortly with respect to the Philippines. The Government of Switzerland has provided UNHCR, in Indonesia, with a team of experts, who serve as technical advisers in the planning and construction of the centre for 10,000 persons on Galang Island near Singapore. Similar assistance will be provided to the Government of the Philippines towards the establishment of the centre for 50,000 persons in Bataan Province on Luzon. Agreements with the Government of Indonesia have been signed to ensure the speedy establishment of the centre and similar agreements are expected to be signed in the immediate future with the Government of the Philippines. These involve the establishment of new or the improvement of existing infrastructure (for example, road network, water and electricity, drainage system, port facilities, radio communications), construction works (for example housing, health, education and recreational centres, administrative quarters), land clearance and provision of furniture and equipment. Agreements to govern the running of the centres, including the employment of necessary staff, and the care and maintenance of refugees admitted, are in preparation.

26. Apart from international experts already mentioned, ICRC, LRCS and its member societies, organizations of the United Nations system (notably the World Food Programme) and voluntary agencies will all have their part to play. It is hoped that one or possibly two centres will open before the end of the year to at least partial capacity.

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