Action Plan of Southeast Asian Coordinator
By: Nicholas Rock, Southeast Asian Coordinator
Action Plan: National Veterans of the Vietnam War, Inc.
Southeast Asian Committee
To advocate for VVNW members rights, to immigrate to the US or
any 3rd country, based on their past associations with US
programs and military during the Vietnam War, who are now in
refugee camps in Southeast Asia by correspondence, telephone, fax
machine and in person.
Advocate for VVNW membership in the United States who have
relatives in the camps in Southeast Asia and who seek the
assistance of this organization by virtue of their membership.
Advocate for the passage of Section 2104 in HR 1561/1564 and S-
908, Department of State Re-Authorization bill for 1996 with
Section 2104 HR 1561/1564 "Smith Amendment" language to be made
part of S-909 which is now going into Senate/House Conference.
Our members have been subjected to lack of due process in
the United High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) overseen
Comprehensive Plan of Action (CPA). The CPA is a
international agreement signed by numerous countries
designed as a plan to handle the Vietnamese Boat People in
camps in Southeast Asia which is the legacy of the Vietnam
War. There are numerous individual affidavits, testimony by
international organizations and activists to several Senate
and House committees and subcommittees attesting to the
corruption, bribery, sexual coercion and intimidation of
women, perpetrated against these asylum-seekers in their
attempt to make their case for refugee status and for
immigration to the US or any 3rd country. More recently
there are interruptions of mail service, lack of medical
care, lack of food and food which does not meet the minimum
caloric requirements of the United Nation's own World Health
Organization. Currently there is an estimated 40,000
Vietnamese Boat People in these camps. The American Legion
is a very strong supporter
HR 1564 provides that: (1) no U.S. money should be used to
finance repatriation of refugees to communist Vietnam or
Laos and (2) instead, that money (some $30 million) should
be used to resettle refugees according to U.S. criteria (not
according to the decisions of corrupt officials in first
asylum countries). This provision does not entail any
additional resettlement budget or quota, nor does it affect
any other refugee groups. The provision only sets
priorities within the quota of 40,000 (and its corresponding
budget) already requested by the State Department for
Indochinese for FY 96. The provision gives higher priority
to people who are most at risk in first asylum camps over
those awaiting direct resettlement from Vietnam, who in
general are not at risk.
Advocate How:
By personal contacts via letter, telephone or in person, with
various individuals, the U.S. State Department, the United High
Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), non-governmental
organizations, Senators and Congresspersons and their committees
and subcommittees, U.S. Immigration and Naturalization Service
(INS), U.S. Orderly Departure Program (ODP)-US Embassy-Bangkok
and the representatives and governments where the camps are
located in Southeast Asia.
Resources:
Besides my self, as necessary, utilize the willing membership in
the VVNW Posts in Washington State to assist in carrying out
these efforts and who also possess the skills, special abilities
and connections to help our organization accomplish our goals.
Use of computer and/or word processor, word processing, data base
and membership computer programs, telephone, fax machine,
dictionaries, file cabinet, copier, pencils, pens, paper. Use of
motor vehicle.
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