TNAG-1276-FCO40-1626-Resettlement-of-Vietnamese-refugees-from-Hong-Kong-1983 — Page 135

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FOLLOWING IS STATEMENT BY MINISTER FOR IMMIGRATION AND ETHNIC AFFAIRS, MR WEST, TO IGC ON REFUGEES IN HONOLULU TODAY 2 AUGUST. STATEMENT IS NOT (UNDERLINE ONE) FOR RELEASE ALTHOUGH COPIES HAVE BEEN GIVEN TO OTHER PARTICIPATING - DELEGATIONS (CANADA, JAPAN AND USA).

*BEGINS

"

1 THANK THE UNITED STATES GOVERNMENT FOR(Konslun),

ORGANISING THESE

CONSULTATIONS AND FOR THE HOSPITALITY EXTENDED TO MYSELF AUSTRALIAN DELEGATION, AND DELEGATES FROM OTHER RESE

·

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Anfern

TLCMENT NATIONS.

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AS AUSTRALIAN MINISTER RESPONSIBLE FOR REFUGEE POLICY THESE CONSULTATIONS GIVE ME, AND MY GOVERNMENT HEAR THE VIEWS OF OTHER MAJOR RESETTLEMENT NATIONS WHICH HAVI

AN EARLY OPPORTUNUTY TO CO-OPERATED IN THE AMELIORATION OF THE INDO-CHINESE REFUGET 5)TUATION. IN TURN, I WILL FAMILIARISE YOU WITH THE REFUGEE POLICY

THE AUSTRALIAN LAROR GOVERNMENT.

I ACCEPT THAT WE ARE DEALING WITH ONE OF THE MAJOK REFUGLE PROBLEMS OF HISTORY. IT IS INDEED GRATIFYING TO SEE THAT THOSE COUNTRIES REPRESENTED HERE HAVE, SINCE 1975, ACCEPTED MANY THOUSANDS OF INDO-CHINESE REFUGEES INTO THEIR TERRITORIES AS A HUMANITARIAN ORLIGATION. THAT OVER 29 COUNTRIES HAVE ACCEPTED OVER DISPLACED INDO CHINESE, GENERALLY AT GREAT COST TO THEMSELVES,

1 MILL CON DEMONSTRATES AN INTERNATIONAL BURDEN-SHARING WHICH IS A GREAT CREDIT TO THOSE COUNTRIES INVOLVED.

SPECIFICALLY, SINCE 1975 THE MAJOR COUNTRIES OF FIRST RELLIGE, NOTABLY MALAYSIA, INDONESIA AND THAILAND, HAVE RECEIVED MORE THAN OND MILION REFUGEES FROM VIETNAM, AND MORE RECENTLY KANPUCHEA.

I UNDERSTAND THAT ALREADY NEARLY EIGHT HUNDRED AND FORTY THOUSAND REFUGEES HAVE BEEN RESETTLED IN THE MAJOR RESCIUCHEADHALI UNS, IS, IN THE UNITED STATES, FRANCE, CANADA, CHINA, AUSTRAL LA, THE

THAT FEDERAL REPUBLIC OF GERMANY, AND THE UNITED KINGDOM.

WE HOPE THAT APPROXIMATELY SIXTY FIVE THOUSAND WILL DURING 1983/84 ..

BE RÚSETTI ED

IN ABSOLUTE FIGURES, AUSTRALIA IS THE FIFTH LARGEST RECIPIENT

}

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