TNAG-0899-FCO40-1109-Refugees-from-Vietnam-in-Hong-Kong-Vietnamese-boat-people-1979 — Page 93

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to those governments.

/5

include a member of the European Community

with responsibilitie the area, but also to the international

community at large.

:

Since the Secretary-General's Conference, the UNHCR has been most

active, especially in respect of resettlement, refugee centres and the

question of orderly departures. These activities have already had

appreciable effects. The departures from countries of temporary asylum

have begun to exceed arrivals: and there has been a proportional net

decline in the numbers of refugees in camps. The continuing success of

these efforts requires further resettlement facilities and refugee

centres.

Last month the Government of Thailand made the important

announcement that all Kampuchean refugees entering Thailand would be

granted temporary asylum and would be treated with full respect for

the principle of non-refoulement.

Thailand deserves credit for this

humanitarian decision which has already relieved the anxiety of the

international community and has facilitated the work of the UNHCR

The Council of Ministers of the European Community, at

its meeting on 30 October last, expressed appreciation of the Thai

Government's announcement and decided to allocate to the assistance of

Kampuchean refugees in Thailand part of the Community's financial aid

of $35 million foreseen for the Kampuchean relief effort.

in the area.

The Geneva meeting demonstrated once more the ability of many

countries to act together to decisively confront a great human tragedy

to

and /set about remedial measures. The Secretary-General speaks

nonetheless of the 'fragility of the situation so long as the root

causes have not been resolved. Without the resolution of the basic