TNAG-1793-FCO40-2553-Hong-Kong-Vietnamese-refugees-repatriation--including-Opera-1988 — Page 16

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

UNITED STATES INFORMATION SERVICE

125 SOUTH SATHORN ROAD

BANGKOK 10120 TEL: 252-5040

FAX 287-2102 TELEX. 84311, 87008

#096

A123 B12 C-K

ข้อความเอกสารราชการ

OFFICIAL TEXT

สํานักข่าวสารอเมริกัน

125 ถนนสาธรใต้ กรุงเทพฯ 10120 โทร: 252-5040 โทรสาร: 287-2102 - เทเล็กซ์: 84311. 87008

Wednesday, June 8, 1988

REPATRIATION AN OPTION FOR INDOCHINA REFUGEES

(Text: Moore Speech to IRAC Conference)

(Note to Editors: The Thai translation of this text will be available

shortly.)

Washington

Speaking before a conference on the Southeast Asian refugee crisis sponsored by the Indochina Resource Action Center (IRAC) June 6, J.S. Coordinator for Refugee Affairs Jonathan Moore said U.S. policy is "to discourage clandestine departures from Vietnam and to maintain resettlement" quotas of "eligible groups in order to keep to tolerable levels the total first asylum population until changes in regional security and stability take place enabling repatriation and a natural reduction in outflows."

//

concern

Following is the text of Moore's speech, as prepared for delivery:

(begin text)

It is a pleasure to be here today among friends who share an abiding for the plight of refugees and displaced persons, particularly those from Indochina who now live in camps throughout Southeast Asia. I join with your morning speaker, my friend and colleague Dick Childress, in congratulating IRAC for your foresight in organizing this conference months ago, when the current threat to first asylum was not So clear, and for bringing together so many able and dedicated people to discuss the vital issues which confront us.

My own personal acquaintance with IRAC happily began almost seven years ago, and it is with great pleasure that I observe how you have grown and developed from a public support group originally focused on the Indochinese refugee crisis and then concentrating on the resettlement of large numbers of Indochinese refugees to an effective voice and resource to all Indochinese communities in the United States. Particularly worthy of pride is the transition that was made, deliberately and with foresight, from an organization directed by concerned, native-born Americans, to one run by the resettled Indochinese themselves so as to give them political voice.

The immediate issue on the minds of all of us concerned with refugees in Southeast Asia is the dramatic surge in boat arrivals over the last year

first in Thailand, then in Malaysia, and now also in Hong Kong. Pushoffs from Thailand, the announcement of plans to close Pulau Bidong in Malaysia, and vigorous public debate about refugee policy in Hong Kong have once again refocussed attention to the refugees from Indochina. This upsurge, confounding expectations that refugee flows would continue the decline of the

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