And in this instance. where we had unsuccessfully sought to protect people from the ravages of communism. we have a special kind of responsibility. I do not believe. I must note. that we have the sole responsibility for this task of providing new homes for the refugee flood. I commend the efforts of our administration for the efforts they have made to get other nations to carry more of the load of support and resettlement. We must continue to press those two initiatives. In the meantime. however. whatever happens with regard to new departures from Vietnam and Laos. and new streams of Khmers fleeing the war in Cambodia. we have little choice in my view. but to shoulder our share of responsibility. for humanitarian reasons. for those persons already in camps around the South China Seaffrcm Hong Kong to the Philippines to Thailand to Malaysia to Indonesia. Life in those camps is at best one of dull despair. brightened only by the prospect of resettlement somewhere in countries where the refugees need not fear a government of the sort they left behind. Unfortunately. resettlement thus far has lagged belind the arrival of fresh refugees. Only by the action we are here supporting. repeated many times in other countries. can we stabilize the situation in Southeast Asia. I urge my colleagues to support this measure.
Keywords matched
refugee refugees