Also. financial contributions in support of the work of the UNHCR in Southeast Asia have also been doubled. Japan alone announced that it would increase its contribution from 25 percent of the UNHCR budget to 50 percent in the coming year. Action was taken to support the establishment of island reception and processing centers in Southeast Asia. to help relieve the refugee burdens on the nations of first asylum. The Government of the Philippines. in particular. took the lead in offering an island in its territory to build a center for up to 50.000 refugees. In addition. the countries of first asylum indicated that they would abide by internationally accepted principles granting temporary asylum to refugees. and to refrain from forcing refugee boats back out to sea. Finally. in a major development. the Government of Vietnamacting along the lines of proposals made by France and by the United Statesannounced a moratorium on the massive outflow of boat people to allow time for the international community to implement the orderly departure agreement negotiated in May by the UNHCR. If this agreement is energetically implementedby our country and other receiving countriesthere may yet be a humane alternative of allowing refugees to leave in an orderly manner. rather than fleeing by boat. Mr. President. I believe there are all important and positive developments in the ongoing international effort to respond to the refugee crisis in Southeast Asiaand for meeting the urgent humanitarian needs of some 400.000 Indochinese refugees. Although much remains to be done. at least the stage is now set for renewed international action. sanctioned by the Nations participating in the conference in Geneva. To review the results of the Geneva meeting. and to assess what actions our Government plans in support of the Geneva meeting.
Keywords matched
refugee refugees