Speech #1040069296

Mr. Speaker. when peoples lives and safety are involved no one should take pleasure in saying. "I told you so". and I take no such pleasure. But any Member who reads. in an objective manner. this mornings Washington Times article about violence in the refugee camps should feel some remorse for this bodys role in the debacle currently unfolding in Southeast Asia. Let me briefly catalog the damage wrought so far by section 2104 of H.R. 1561. the American Overseas Interests Act and the rejection uf my amendment to delete that section. Two days of rioting by 3.000 boat people in refugee camps in Malaysia have caused at least 13 injuries. Earlier riots in Hong Kongs camps caused more than 200 injuries. of the 1.400 boat people in Thailand camps who had volunteered to return peacefully to Vietnam. most are now resisting repatriation. 1.000 volunteers at camps in Indonesia have withdrawn their requests to return. and voluntary repatriation has also ceased in Hong King with 196 of 200 volunteers now refusing to board a scheduled flight to Vietnam. The U.N. High Commissioner for Refugees and other objective observers lay the blame squarely on this legislation for this violence and for the collapse of orderly voluntary repatriation. The repatriation of Indochinese boat people determined by the UNHCR to be economic migrants. not political refugees. was bound to be a contentious process under the best of conditions. But when this body refused to strike this dangerous and irresponsible provision. it gave the 40.000 plus boat people in the camps false hope of resettlement in the United States and. thus. created the conditions for violence that we see unfolding throughout Southeast Asia. This Member fully understands and shares the desire to provide fair and humane treatment to those in the refugee camps. But instead this legislation has led to violence in the refugee camps. caused the collapse of voluntary repatriation. and will also likely encourage another wave of boat departures from Vietnam. putting people at great risk on the high seas and swelling the refugee camp population.