Speech #1000051926

The first is an article from the front page of the April 3 edition of the Bangkok Post entitled. "U.S. Senator raps refugee expulsion." This article accurately relates a dialog which took place at a March hearing of the Foreign Operations Subcommittee of the Appropriations Committee when my colleague. Senator KASTEN. voiced concerns a number of us share involving the March pushback of scores of Hmiong refugees. Senator KASTEN. the former chairman of the subcommittee. knows the issues well and he articulated them well with his customary zeal and emotion. He cares about the refugees of the region and has worked to ensure adequate funding for U.S. programs. While some may disagree on whether aid to Thailand should now be conditioned to the Thai refugee performance. all of us share his concern that no further pushbacks occur. In this article the current chairman of the subcommittee. Senator INOUYE. with whom I have joined in past efforts to improve protection of Vietnamese land people at Site II. again distinguished himself as a champion of refugee protection. I am deeply grateful for the leadership and expertise he has exhibited over the years. and I look forward to working with him this year to carry on one of Americas proudest programs. If this first hearing is an indication of the close scrutiny the chairman is going to give U.S. efforts and firstasylum countries performance. then the Congress will benefit greatly from his role as custodian of U.S. refugee policy. The Bangkok Post article goes on to discuss one of the underlying issues dividing the U.S. and Thailand on refugeesthe carryover problemand I commend it to my colleagues attention. Finally. Ambassador Jonathan Moore. the U.S. Coordinator for Refugee Affairs. delivered a thoughtful speech on April 6. 1987. at Harvard University. This speech evidences Ambassador Moores compassion and intellect. and I hope it receives the attention it deserves. All of us who look to the United States for continued leadership in addressing the needs of refugees in the world will continue to look to Ambassador Moore for courage and boldness in ushering in the needed recommitment. Recently he visited Minnesota and was asked about S. 814 and he said: The motivation and the purposes I share. I am very sympathetic. The Hatfield bill seeks to make a lot of major changes in the way the U.S. Government makes refugee policies and pursues refugee policies. I am encouraged by Ambassador Moores statement. and like all of my colleagues who feel the United States can be generous to a handful of refugees when it grants legal status to millions of economic migrants. the refugee ceilings for 1988 which he will propose to Congress will be the first real test of his leadership. I am very confident that he will be equal to this worthy challenge.*