TNAG-1791-FCO40-2551-Hong-Kong-Vietnamese-refugees-repatriation--including-Opera-1988 — Page 179

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MDHIAN 9591

THE MINISTERS REGRETTED THAT THE NUMBER OF REFUGEES HAS

NOT DIMINISHED SINCE THE LAST EC-ASEAN MINISTERIAL MEETING. THE REASONS ARE THE UNSOLVED POLITICAL AND ECONOMIC PROBLEMS

OF THE INDOCHINA STATES. THE MINISTERS CALLED FOR A LASTING SOLUTION TO THE REFUGEE PROBLEM BY SERIOUS DOMESTIC REFORMS

AND A PEACEFUL END TO THE CAMBODIA CONFLICT. THEY ALSO CALLED

FOR CONSIDERATION AT AN INTERNATIONAL LEVEL OF ARRANGEMENTS FOR THE RETURN TO THEIR PLACE OF ORIGIN OF THOSE ARRIVALS

WHO DO NOT MEET THE AGREED CRITERIA FOR REFUGEE STATUS, SUB-

JECT TO SATISFACTORY GUARANTEES AS TO THEIR TREATMENT ON RE-

TURN.

·

AS LONG AS THE FLOW OF REFUGEES CONTINUES AND THOSE WHO

HAVE HAD TO LEAVE THEIR COUNTRIES ARE DENIED THEIR INALIEN-

ABLE RIGHT TO RETURN HOME SAFELY, HUMANITARIAN EFFORTS CO- ORDINATED BETWEEN THE COUNTRIES OF FIRST ASYLUM THE RESETT-

LEMENT COUNTRIES AND THE INTERNATIONAL ORGANIZATIONS CONCER-

NED WILL HAVE TO CONTINUE TO EASE THE SUFFERING OF THE

REFUGEES AND TO FIND THEM A NEW HOME. EC AND ASEAN WILL CONTRIBUTE TOWARDS THESE EFFORTS.

8. AFGHANISTAN

TO BE FORMULATED AT A LATER STAGE.

9. MIDDLE EAST

THE MINISTERS DISCUSSED DEVELOPMENTS IN THE MIDDLE EAST AND EKSPRESSED THEIR CONCERN ABOUT THE SITUATION IN THE OCCUPIED TERRITORIES. THEY REFERRED TO DECLARATIONS AND DEMARCHES MADE BY THE TWELVE, INCLUDING THE DECLARATIONS OF FEBRUARY 23RD, JULY 13TH, 1987, AND FEBRUARY 8TH, 1988, AND TO RESOLUTIONS OF THE UN SECURITY COUNCIL. THEY SUPPORTED THE IDEA OF AN INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE AS THE SUITABLE FRAMEWORK FOR A POLITICAL SOLUTION. THE TWELVE AND ASEAN CONTINUE TO SUPPORT THE SOVEREIGNTY, INTEGRITY AND INDEPEN- DENCE OF LEBANON. THE IRAQ-IRAN CONFLICT IS CONTINUING TO CAUSE GREAT HUMAN SUFFERING AND HEAVY MATERIAL LOSS. IT THREATENS THE STABILITY OF THE WHOLE REGION. THE MINISTERS REAFFIRMED THEIR SUPPORT FOR A SPEEDY RESOLUTION OF THE CONFLICT THROUGH THE IMPLEMENTATION OF SECURITY COUNCIL

RESOLUTION 598.

10. SOUTHERN AFRICA

WITH REGARD TO SOUTHERN AFRICA, THE MINISTERS REJECTED UNEQUIVOCALLY THE SYSTEM OF APARTHEID WHICH VIOLATES HUMAN DIGNITY AN REITERATED THEIR CALL FOR ITS TOTAL ABOLITION.

-FOLLOWING PART TWO WITH CPE BON 166--

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