Update on Regional Developments in Asia and the Pacific

EC/48/SC/CRP.37

UPDATE ON REGIONAL DEVELOPMENTS IN ASIA AND THE PACIFIC

1. This document is divided into three parts; Part I provides a regional overview, Part II describes regional special programmes, and Part III provides information on an individual country basis. Relevant statistical, budget and post tables, as well as maps, are included as annexes to this document.

I. REGIONAL OVERVIEW

A. Populations of concern to UNHCR in the region

2. As of 1 January 1998, an estimated 1.5 million persons were of concern to UNHCR in the area covered by the Bureau for Asia and the Pacific (annex I refers), representing no significant overall variation from the previous year. This population comprised 937,000 refugees and asylum-seekers, 385,000 returnees and 200,000 internally displaced persons.

3. Of the refugees, the largest caseloads were in China (291,500), India (223,100), Nepal(129,200), Thailand (169,200) and Bangladesh (21,600). The largest assisted returnee caseload was in Myanmar (229,400).

B. Major regional developments

1. Emergency relief and voluntary repatriation assistance for Cambodian refugees

4. Political violence in early July 1997 and the ensuing military conflict between opposing alliances in the areas of Samrong and O'smach resulted in an outflow of some 20,000 refugees into the Surin province of Thailand in August 1997. Further conflict erupted towards the end of September in the Samlot district in western Cambodia, resulting in an outflow of a further estimated 35,000 Cambodians seeking refuge across the Thai border in neighbouring Trat province. By October 1997, camps had been established at Huay Cherng in Surin province and at Chong Khao Phlu, Ban Ma Muang and Ban Muen Dan in Trat province. The latter camp was closed several weeks later for security reasons. A group of some 500 Cambodians who had sought refuge in urban centres such as Bangkok or Aranyaprathet in Thailand during the same period were provided with assistance on an individual basis. In May 1998, following the occupation of the resistance base of Anlong Veng in Siem Riep province by Cambodian Government forces, a further outflow of some 15,000 Cambodians into Sisaket province, Thailand, occurred. The camp of Phu Noi was subsequently established to shelter the new arrivals.

5. Since the initial phase of the emergency, the Government of Thailand has provided timely and effective temporary protection to Cambodian refugees through the establishment of asylum sites. The Government extended humanitarian assistance to camp populations in the critical sectors of food, shelter, water, health, sanitation, community services and camp security through relevant government institutions and the Thai Red Cross, in collaboration with UNHCR, the World Food Programme (WFP) and international non-governmental organizations (NGOs). UNHCR appealed to the international community in October 1997 for $ 5.9 million to support emergency relief and voluntary repatriation assistance for Cambodian refugees through June 1998.

6. Shortly after their arrival in Thailand, several hundred refugees from Huay Cherng camp requested UNHCR assistance to return to safe locations within Cambodia. The Governments of Thailand and Cambodia have pledged their full support for UNHCR organized voluntary repatriation movements. In the second quarter of 1998, several hundred refugees in Trat province also registered for voluntary repatriation. As at the end of June 1998, a total of 5,595 Cambodians had voluntarily repatriated overland (5,318) and by air (277) under UNHCR auspices.

7. In recent months, with the onset of the monsoon planting season in Cambodia and the relative lull in the fighting in border areas of north-western Cambodia, coinciding also with the commencement of registration for the July 1998 national elections, a significant level of spontaneous return from both the Trat and Surin camps has been reported by the Thai authorities, principally to inaccessible areas within Cambodia. While original estimates of camp populations could not be confirmed earlier, systematic registration exercises undertaken by Thai military and marine authorities indicated that a total of 40,587 Cambodians remained in four camps as of the end of June 1998. UNHCR remains hopeful that the national elections will result in political stability and peace within Cambodia and that Cambodians in Thailand will be in a position to return in safety to their country of origin in the ensuing months. A revised appeal will be issued to meet the need for extended care and maintenance assistance for the camps in Thailand and to fully cover reintegration assistance for returnees.

2. Prevention and Preparedness

8. The financial crisis effecting political stability in some countries within the region during the reporting period raised concern within and beyond the region regarding the risk of mass population outflows. UNHCR undertook preparedness training and contingency-related consultative initiatives with concerned Governments in the region to reinforce regional understanding and to promote a mutually supportive response capacity which would ensure the humane treatment of externally displaced populations and the availability of temporary protection for asylum-seekers who meet refugee criteria.

3. Expansion of UNHCR's role regarding refugees from Myanmar on the Thai/Myanmar border

9. Following extensive consultations with the Thai authorities, the Government of Thailand formally requested, in June 1998, an expanded UNHCR role with regard to some 100,000 ethnic Karen and Karenni refugees from Myanmar who are accommodated in 13 camps scattered along the border of Thailand and Myanmar. This development is expected to facilitate access to asylum-seekers and closer cooperation with the Thai authorities on issues of protection, camp relocation assistance in relation to the security of refugee populations against armed incursions and durable solutions.

4. Myanmar repatriation

10. Some 10,100 refugees from Bangladesh voluntarily repatriated to the Rakhine State in Myanmar during 1997. Voluntary repatriation and alternative durable solutions for some 21,600 individuals remaining in two camps in Bangladesh were affected by obstructive action taken by minority elements in the camps and the need for a renewed commitment between the concerned Governments covering arrangements for the resumption of returns. In March 1998, guiding principles for the resumption of voluntary repatriation were established. Following the restoration of law and order in one camp during the same month, more than 6,700 individuals signed up for voluntary repatriation, including 1,150 individuals who had previously been established for return by the Myanmar authorities. Practical arrangements for this cleared group are now being worked out between Bangladesh and Myanmar. It is hoped that all those who wish to return to Myanmar will have done so by the end of 1998. At the same time, consultations are in progress with the Government of Bangladesh to consider alternative durable solutions for those remaining, so as to enable the soonest possible closure of the camps.

11. UNHCR's population stabilization programme for the Muslim residents of the Rakhine State continues to improve the livelihood of the population at large. Assistance programmes are aimed at improving crop production, encouraging income-generating activities through micro-credit schemes, and reinforcing health and education facilities. Issues of public policy and governance related to the status of this group continue to be addressed with the authorities. One indicator suggesting that the living conditions have improved significantly is the fact that large numbers of families did not migrate to Bangladesh during the current year's dry season. Progress is being made towards the establishment of an integrated post-UNHCR regional development plan for the Rakhine State.

5. Sri Lanka operation

12. Hostilities between the Sri Lankan Government and the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) continue to lead to the repeated displacement of significant numbers of persons in northern Sri Lanka. To provide areas of relative peace and security for the internally displaced and permit the provision of emergency assistance, UNHCR is maintaining Open Relief Centres in the affected areas, which cater to a population of some 20,000 persons.

13. Increasing numbers of internally displaced persons are also returning to their home areas in the Jaffna peninsula. Some 79,000 persons having returned in 1997. To assist in the process of finding a durable solution for these persons, UNHCR provides rehabilitation assistance to returnees through the implementation of community-based or income-generating micro-projects. Efforts to increase the capacity of host communities to cope with influxes of internally displaced persons so as to stabilize population movements and provide an alternative to refugee flight continue in other affected areas. Partly as a result of these efforts, refugee flight to India has remained limited, with only 1,802 persons arriving in India during the first five months of 1998.

6. The Comprehensive Plan of Action for Indo-Chinese Refugees

14. By the end of June 1998, some 1,800 Vietnamese refugees and non-refugees remain of concern to the Office following the completion of the Comprehensive Plan of Action for Indo-Chinese Refugees (CPA), the majority of whom are in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (SAR). UNHCR will continue throughout 1999 to promote self-reliance initiatives and durable solutions for this residual CPA caseload and for some 1,340 Laotians remaining in the Ban Napho camp in Thailand who have been subject to individual status review during the reporting period. In Viet Nam, UNHCR will continue to provide returnee monitoring support, and reintegration assistance for new returnees. In the Lao Democratic People's Republic, UNHCR will provide reintegration assistance and monitoring support for returnees.

7. Advocacy, promotion, awareness and information sharing

15. The third meeting of the Asia-Pacific Inter-Governmental Consultations on Regional Approaches to Refugees and Displaced Persons (APC) was co-hosted by UNHCR and the Government of Thailand on 9 and 10 June 1998 in Bangkok. This meeting was co-chaired by UNHCR and the International Organization for Migration (IOM) and included the participation of seventeen countries in the region. In the context of the prevailing economic crisis in the region, the meeting discussed the impact of migratory flows, prevention and preparedness, and the progress and future prospects of the consultations process. The participants agreed on the importance of the continuation of the APC as an informal forum for the discussion of migration and population flow-related issues, and to the eventual merger of all regional fora dealing with such issues under the APC. There was also a consensus with regard to the establishment of a Secretariat in the region and for the APC to convene in plenary annually.

16. The African-Asian Legal Consultative Committee (AALCC) convened a Meeting of Experts in Teheran, the Islamic Republic of Iran, on 11 and 12 March 1998, in compliance with the recommendation adopted at the Annual Session of the AALCC held the preceding year. After examining the issues of refugee definition, asylum and treatment of refugees, durable solutions and burden-sharing, the participants requested that the AALCC Secretariat prepare a draft text of proposed revisions to the Bangkok Principles which would reflect the recommendations made during the successive AALCC meetings, including that of the Meeting of Experts. This draft text was submitted to the thirty-seventh annual session which was convened in New Delhi, India, in April 1998, and was referred to in a resolution of the session, which also agreed to place this item on the agenda of the thirty-eighth annual session scheduled to take place in 1999.

17. A regional symposium and a seminar to commemorate the fiftieth anniversary of the Universal Declaration on Human Rights and to promote the public awareness of refugee issues were jointly convened by UNHCR and Chulalongkorn University from 25 to 30 May 1998 in Bangkok. These activities were attended by participants from the Association of South-East Asian Nations (ASEAN) countries who examined the linkages between basic human rights values and refugees, international responses to contemporary population displacement and challenges for the new millennium in regard to these issues.

18. The fourth informal consultations on Refugee and Migratory Movements in South Asia took place in Dhaka, Bangladesh, on 10 and 11 November 1997. This consultative process was launched in 1994 with the objective of developing an informal non-governmental regional forum in which eminent persons from South Asian countries could consider issues relating to migration and population displacement in the region. At the Dhaka gathering, a model national legislation on refugees was adopted. The next gathering is scheduled to be held in Nepal during the course of 1998.

C. Programme expenditures and budgets

19. Total programme expenditure in the region for 1997 (annex II refers) amounted to $62.2 million, comprising $ 30.2 million under General Programmes and $ 32 million under Special Programmes. The current revised 1998 requirements amount to $ 57.5 million as compared to the initial 1998 estimate of $ 41.3 million. While current 1998 requirements under General Programmes of $ 23.5 million are slightly lower than the initial 1998 estimate of $ 25.1 million, current 1998 requirements under Special Programmes of $ 34 million are significantly higher than the initial 1998 estimate of $ 16.2 million. This increase of $17.8 million is primarily due to the prolongation of care and maintenance assistance for Muslim refugees from the Rakhine State of Myanmar in Bangladesh ($ 4.1 million) and the residual CPA Vietnamese caseload in Hong Kong SAR ($ 3.6 million) remaining subject to durable solutions, both instances necessitating the retention of UNHCR's operational field presences which had hitherto been scheduled for further reduction or closure. The increase also reflects the requirements of the ongoing emergency relief and voluntary repatriation assistance for Cambodians refugees who entered Thailand during the reporting period ($ 5 million) and the augmentation of returnee reintegration operations in Myanmar ($ 3.4 million) and Viet Nam ($ 0.9 million). Initial 1999 requirements for the region amount to $47.6 million, comprising $ 19.1 million under General Programmes and $ 28.5 million under Special Programmes.

D. Post situation

20. The revised 1998 staffing requirements for the region (annex III refers) as of 1 January 1998 of 390 work years (404 posts), compared with the initial 1998 estimates of 335 work years (348 posts), reflect an increase of 56 posts, or 16 per cent, in field staffing levels. This increase is due to the non-discontinuation of existing posts in relation to the extension of the Bangladesh/Myanmar repatriation operation and the creation or extension of posts in Thailand and Cambodia to support emergency relief and voluntary repatriation assistance for Cambodian refugees. Staffing requirements as of 1 January 1999 of 343.5 work years (358 posts) reflect a significant net reduction from revised 1998 levels due to anticipated post discontinuations, mainly in Hong Kong SAR, Thailand and Viet Nam, and the closure of the UNHCR Liaison Office in the Philippines.

II. REGIONAL SPECIAL PROGRAMMES

1. Emergency relief and voluntary repatriation assistance for Cambodian refugees

(a) Beneficiaries

21. Following the political violence in early July 1997 and ensuing conflict in north and north-western Cambodia, the Government of Thailand reported that some 51,898 Cambodians were accommodated in three camps along the border with north-west Cambodia as of 1 January 1998. In May 1998, a further influx of some 15,000 Cambodians occurred into the Sisaket province of Thailand from the Anlong Veng area of north Cambodia, thereby necessitating the establishment of a fourth camp at Phu Noi.

22. In recent months, with the onset of the monsoon planting season in Cambodia and the relative lull in the fighting in the border areas of north-western Cambodia, coinciding also with the commencement of registration for the July 1998 national elections, a significant level of spontaneous return from both the Trat and Surin camps was reported by the Thai authorities, principally to inaccessible areas within Cambodia. As of the end of June 1998, systematic registration exercises undertaken by Thai military and marine authorities confirmed that 40,587 Cambodians remained in four camps at Huay Cherng (7,959) in Surin Province, Phu Noi (14,794) in Sisaket Province, and at Chong Khao Phlu (12,171) and Ban Ma Muang (5,663) in Trat Province. Camp populations are comprised mainly of women and children; women represent 51 percent of the population in both Trat and Sisaket camps and 47 per cent in Huay Cherng camp. It is estimated that children and adolescents below 15 years of age constitute more than half of all camp populations. A further 646 exiles and asylum-seekers and their families (1,182 persons) were registered in urban centres, of whom 219 cases (495 persons) requested and were granted recognition as refugees. As at the end of June 1998, a total of 5,595 Cambodians had voluntarily repatriated overland (5,318) and by air (277) under UNHCR auspices.

(b) Recent developments and objectives

23. The purpose of this operation is to provide relief assistance to Cambodian refugees in Thailand, to facilitate their eventual voluntary and safe repatriation, and to promote their sustainable reintegration in Cambodia. Since the establishment of the camps and at the request of the Government of Thailand, UNHCR has provided assistance in the sectors of health, water, sanitation, household needs, education and community services. WFP provides the basic food requirements for all camp populations. A group of some 500 Cambodians who had sought refuge in urban centres were also assisted on an individual basis.

24. In order to maintain the civilian and humanitarian character of the camps and to improve the security of camp populations in light of instances of armed incursions and shelling close to camp perimeters, UNHCR has offered to support the relocation of the camps in Trat province further inland from the Cambodian border. While from the outset of the operation it was anticipated that refugees would have repatriated to Cambodia in time for the national elections, the absence of a peace settlement and continued fighting and insecurity in their areas of origin precluded the return for many refugees. Consequently, further care and maintenance assistance will be required for the camps in Thailand beyond the assistance time-frame of the present appeal.

25. In Cambodia, UNHCR closely monitors the well-being of returnees. UNHCR staff accompany return convoys to returnee drop-off points and beyond, to the extent feasible. As of 30 June 1998, an average of 34 per cent of returnees had been visited in their final destinations in the four provinces of largest returnee concentration (Banteay Meanchey, Battambang, Pursat and Siem Riep). No protection cases were identified over the reporting period.

26. The relatively limited number of returnees to date and their broad dispersal within 19 provinces in Cambodia has complicated the provision of reintegration assistance through the implementation of community-based quick impact projects (QIPs). Nevertheless, several rehabilitation QIPs in the sectors of infrastructure, water, sanitation and crop production have been implemented in close coordination with existing development agencies and local government institutions, so as to promote the self-reliance and reintegration of returnees. QIPs were implemented in the three provinces of highest returnee concentration (Battambang, Banteay Meanchey and Siem Riep). They included the drilling of 55 boreholes, the construction or repair of 15 bridges, the construction of ten ponds and 40 latrines, and the provision of 200 water jars, as well as the rehabilitation of seven kilometres of road and the preparation of 40 hectares of land for crop production.

27. It is envisaged that the momentum for repatriation will resume in the second half of 1998 and will be completed by the first half of 1999, thereby permitting the closure of camps by June 1999. However, returnee reintegration assistance and monitoring will continue in Cambodia through December 1999 with some augmentation over current appeal projections to take account of a larger percentage of returnees than originally estimated within the original target population of 60,000 beneficiaries requiring reintegration assistance.

(c) Implementing partners/arrangements

28. In Thailand, the Thai Red Cross coordinates health services within the camps. The International Rescue Committee (IRC) implements sanitation assistance in the Huay Cherng and Phu Noi camps. The American Refugee Committee (ARC) implements water activities in all camps, as well as sanitation and health services in the Trat camps. In Cambodia, WFP provides returnees with a 40 day basic food ration. The Cambodian Red Cross (CRC) provides returnee transportation as well as transit services, Médecins sans Frontières (MSF) Holland is in charge of medical care at the transit centre in Sisophon and the Cambodian Family Development Services (CFDS) provides assistance to vulnerable returnees. Various United Nations, non-governmental local and international organizations, as well as local government institutions, implement QIPs on behalf of UNHCR. These include the Sanitation and Water Consultants for Development (SAWA) Netherlands, Refugee Care Netherlands (ZOA), Action Nord-Sud (ANS) and the Provincial Department of Public Works and Transportation Department. In 1997, Concern, Ireland, also assisted UNHCR with the rehabilitation of the Sisophon transit centre.

(d) Budget

29. In October 1997, during the emergency relief phase of the operation, a $ 6 million appeal was issued to cover operational, programme delivery and administrative support costs for the period July 1997 through December 1998. This appeal was fully funded. Due to the relatively low level of repatriation through June 1998, expenditure on returnee reintegration assistance was less than projected, thus providing a carry-over to cover activities through September 1998. A revised appeal will be issued to cover UNHCR requirements for continued relief and repatriation assistance in respect to Cambodian refugees in Thailand through June 1999 and returnee reintegration assistance in Cambodia through December 1999.

(e) Post situation

30. Due to the systematic downsizing in recent years of both the UNHCR Regional Office and field presence in Thailand and the UNHCR Liaison Office and field presence in Cambodia, the creation of several new posts, in addition to the extension and transfer from General to Special Programmes funding of a number of existing posts, were essential in both countries for an effective response to the Cambodia emergency. Revised 1998 and initial 1999 requirements of 38 and 31 posts respectively for Thailand and revised 1998 and initial 1999 requirements of 14 and 24 posts respectively for Cambodia, remain subject to the further review of field staffing levels currently in progress.

(f) Implementation of policy priorities (women, children, environment)

31. In the camps in Thailand, the special needs and concerns of women and unaccompanied minors are taken care of through community services and appropriate technical programme expertise involving Khmer women's associations. Education and vocational training for vulnerable individuals is provided in view of their potential reintegration constraints. Sports equipment such as footballs, volleyballs and badminton sets are provided to school children. Alternative cooking fuel in the form of sawdust logs is being distributed to camp residents to prevent deforestation of camp perimeters and neighbouring areas.

32. In Cambodia, the CFDS follows up on the needs of vulnerable cases upon return, in particular female heads of household and unaccompanied minors, with the aim of promoting their acceptance and self-reliance in rural village communities.

(g) Oversight reports

33. No reports were initiated during the reporting period.

2. Myanmar repatriation

(a) Beneficiaries

34. As at 1 January 1998, 229,400 returnees were being assisted by UNHCR in Myanmar. Of this caseload, 50.5 per cent were female. Children under 18 years old comprised 60 per cent of this population.

(b) Recent developments

35. During 1997, some 10,100 Muslim residents of the Rakhine State in Myanmar returned, bringing the total number of returnees to 229,400 persons. This represents approximately 92 percent of the original estimated refugee caseload. Since July 1997, no returns have taken place and, in mid-August, the Myanmar authorities declared that the mass repatriation phase was over. Following bilateral discussions between the Governments of Bangladesh and Myanmar, the Myanmar authorities, in April 1998, agreed to a resumption of the repatriation. A list of 1,150 persons previously cleared for return was submitted in order to resume the repatriation process. Practical arrangements for the return of this group are being worked out.

36. UNHCR continues to have unrestricted access to monitor the well-being of returnees in the Rakhine State and the local Muslim population, which is estimated to number some 800,000 persons. Issues of public policy and governance related to the status of this group, such as their lack of citizenship, restrictions on their freedom of movement and compulsory labour practices, continue to be addressed with the authorities.

37. The implementation of UNHCR's reintegration programme, with its emphasis on poverty alleviation, has been progressing satisfactorily and plays an essential role in stabilizing the population and preventing further mass displacement in the region. Key sector activities are aimed at increasing agricultural production in order to reduce the chronic food deficit in the area, the provision of primary education for all children, with a special focus on the education of girls, literacy training, especially for women, preventive and curative health care, skills training, income-generation/micro-credit projects, strengthening of community services, improving transport networks linking villages and markets, and the provision of assistance to vulnerable families.

38. A completion of the repatriation process by the end of 1998 is planned for those who wish to return from Bangladesh. UNHCR and its partners will continue to implement the population stabilization programme until the end of 1999. It is anticipated that, by this time, the implementation of an Integrated Development Plan for the northern Rakhine State, the result of a UNHCR/UNDP led inter-agency planning effort, will have commenced.

(c) Implementing partners/arrangements

39. The Immigration and National Registration Department (IND) of the Ministry for Immigration and Population continues to be UNHCR's governmental implementing partner for the overall programme. This department implements reintegration projects through Village Development Committees in the sectors of transport/logistics, health, education, community development and income-generation activities.

40. Other partners include the Myanmar Red Cross Society (MRCS), with support from the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC), which implements assistance for vulnerable groups; the Myanmar Maternal and Child Welfare Association (MMCWA), which is responsible for a reproductive health education and counselling programme; "Bridge" Asia-Japan (BAJ), which provides mechanical support to the entire operation, as well as vocational training; Action Contre la Faim (ACF), which manages a water supply, sanitation and family food production programme; Groupe de Recherche et d'Echanges Technologiques (GRET), which implements a crop production and income-generation programme; and CARE International which runs a re-afforestation programme.

41. Implementing arrangements also include cooperation with WFP. Some 1,700 metric tonnes of basic food was made available by WFP in 1997 to provide initial support for returnees and for the implementation of food for work schemes which created numerous employment opportunities through the implementation of mainly small-scale access road construction and repair, pond digging, re-afforestation and land preparation projects. Cooperation arrangements also included those with UNICEF, WHO and FAO, in addition to locally created committees for health and education.

(d) Budget

42. The requirements for UNHCR's programme in 1998 are in accordance with the fourth joint WFP/UNHCR funding appeal for 1998 and 1999 which was issued in December 1997. Bi-annual requirements amount to $ 31.4 million ($ 25.8 million for UNHCR (Bangladesh and Myanmar) and $ 5.6 million for the WFP programme).

(e) Post situation

43. As at 1 January 1998, there are a total of 66 posts in Myanmar. The scheduled reduction in 1999 to 62 posts is subject to a further review of the overall progress achieved in the phasing out of UNHCR's involvement in the Rakhine State in conjunction with the increasing involvement of longer-term development agencies.

(f) Implementation of policy priorities (women, children, environment)

44. A small-scale projects programme is promoting the role of women in the community through their involvement in project formulation processes and through targeted activities for female-headed households in education, health care, vocational training and income-generation. Literacy training has been provided to 11,000 persons, of whom 25 per cent are women and 75 per cent are returnee children, to facilitate their enrolment in state run primary schools. WFP also encourages girls to attend school under a food-for-education programme.

(g) Oversight reports

45. No reports were initiated during the reporting period.

3. Sri Lanka Operation

(a) Beneficiaries

46. In the course of the 15-year old hostilities between the Government of Sri Lanka and the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE), and due to an escalation of the conflict since the second half of 1995, a significant number of persons have been internally displaced and are dependent on humanitarian assistance. Although it is difficult to determine the exact number of internally displaced persons, estimates made by informed sources are in the range of several hundred thousand. They are scattered mainly in the northern part of Sri Lanka, bordering the affected areas. According to the Sri Lankan authorities, over 800,000 persons were internally displaced as of April 1998.

47. Some 400,000 persons, including both the internally displaced and the host population, benefited from UNHCR assistance during 1997. In addition, as of 1 January 1998, 16,262 internally displaced persons were accommodated in UNHCR assisted Open Relief Centres and Sub-Centres near Madhu in Mannar district. Further, some 7,795 persons were in UNHCR assisted transit centres in the Mannar, Vavuniya and Trincomalee districts awaiting resettlement in other areas.

(b) Recent developments and objectives

48. The breakdown of peace talks between the Government of Sri Lanka and the LTTE in April 1995, and the resumption of armed clashes led to the displacement of significant numbers of persons within and between the Jaffna peninsula and the Vanni region. In mid-1996, as the hostilities shifted from the Jaffna peninsula to the Vanni region, large numbers of internally displaced persons began returning to Jaffna either with government assistance or on their own. During 1997, 72,450 persons who had been displaced in the Vanni region, as well as a much larger number of persons displaced within the Jaffna peninsula, returned to their places of origin in Jaffna. Significant numbers of internally displaced persons also left the Vanni region and moved south to safer areas in the Vavuniya and Mannar districts.

49. As a result of this rapidly evolving situation, UNHCR's assistance programme has been reoriented in order to address two basic objectives: (i) to promote durable solutions for internally displaced persons through infrastructure support to host communities, income-generation activities and a reinforcement of local governmental and NGO capacities; and (ii) to stabilize population displacements and provide an alternative to refugee flight through community based assistance activities. Partly as a result of these efforts, refugee flight to neighbouring India has remained relatively limited, with 1,802 persons arriving in India during the first five months of 1998. While efforts will continue to increase the capacity of host communities to cope with influxes of internally displaced persons in affected areas, the geographic focus of assistance activities is increasingly being shifted to the Jaffna peninsula to facilitate the reintegration of returnees.

50. During 1997, a total of 224 micro-projects were implemented in northern Sri Lanka, benefiting 400,000 internally displaced persons and local residents. 56 micro-projects were implemented in Jaffna for the benefit of 212,000 persons. These QIPs addressed the need to improve water supply and food distribution systems, a reinforcement of health care and educational facilities, and income-generation activities. In the first half of 1998, 83 new micro-projects are being implemented, including 29 in Jaffna. During 1998 and 1999, it is expected that UNHCR will increase its assistance activities in the Jaffna peninsula. Discussions are also underway with the Sri Lankan authorities on UNHCR assistance in developing facilities for internally displaced persons in Jaffna and their transportation to areas of settlement in the peninsula.

51. In the affected area, UNHCR continued to maintain Open Relief Centres near Madhu in the Mannar district to provide an area of refuge for internally displaced persons and permit the provision of humanitarian assistance. In addition to the distribution of non-food relief items, 28 micro-projects were implemented in the area in 1997 to ensure the provision of basic water supply and sanitation facilities, and provide opportunities for internally displaced persons to engage in income-generating activities.

52. The assistance programme for non-Tamil internally displaced persons in the Puttalam and Anuradhapura districts was phased out in June 1998 by handing over responsibility for the programme to the Sri Lankan authorities.

53. It is anticipated that the UNHCR Special Programme in Sri Lanka will continue in 1999 at a level similar to 1998 and on the basis of a funding appeal.

(c) Implementing partners/arrangements

54. The Resettlement and Rehabilitation Authority of the North (RRAN) is the government institution which coordinates and defines with UNHCR the parameters of assistance provided to beneficiaries in the north. The Rehabilitation of Persons, Properties and Industries Authority/Ministry of Shipping, Ports, Rehabilitation and Reconstruction (REPPIA/MSPRR) was UNHCR's counterpart for the internally displaced persons resettlement programme in Puttalam and Anuradhapura. Implementation of these programmes is largely the responsibility of district level government officials who provide leadership and coordinate assistance activities, including the maintenance and management of reception/transit facilities, needs assessments, distribution of relief supplies/commodities, as well as overseeing the micro-project assistance programme.

55. The following eleven national and international NGOs are implementing the UNHCR-funded programme during 1998: MSF France, MSF Holland, the Sri Lanka Red Cross Society, Rural Development Foundation, Sewa Lanka Foundation, Lanka Jatika Sarvodaya Shramadana Sangamaya, CARE International, Campaign for Development and Solidarity, ZOA, OXFAM and World University Services of Canada.

(d) Budget

56. Due to initial funding constraints, the rate of programme implementation in early 1998 was adversely affected. Efforts are being made to increase implementation capacity. Revised 1998 and initial 1999 requirements amount to $ 7.5 million and $ 6.5 million respectively.

(e) Post situation

57. Revised 1998 and initial 1999 requirements of 65 and 60 posts respectively are subject to the outcome of a review of operational priorities currently in progress.

(f) Implementation of policy priorities (women, children, environment)

58. The needs of the especially vulnerable, including female headed households, single parent families, orphans, widows and others affected by the hostilities are taken into account in the design and implementation of micro-project assistance activities.

59. Between January and June 1998, 18 micro-projects, representing 22 per cent of all micro-projects approved during this period, were initiated in the education sector and involved the construction or renovation of school facilities and the provision of school equipment and furniture.

(g) Oversight reports

60. The reorientation of UNHCR's programme objectives and strategies are in conformity with recommendations arising from an inspection of activities in Sri Lanka in December 1996. As suggested by UNHCR's Inspection and Evaluation Service, the Branch Office is also assuming a clearer coordinating role for United Nations humanitarian assistance, particularly in the Jaffna peninsula.

4. Comprehensive Plan of Action

61. During the reporting period, UNHCR continued to provide care and maintenance assistance for the residual CPA caseload of 1,203 Vietnamese refugees and 660 Vietnamese non-refugees remaining in the region as of 30 June 1998. The majority of this caseload is in Hong Kong SAR subject to repatriation or pending alternative durable solutions according to their individual status. UNHCR has maintained an active resettlement programme for the residual CPA Vietnamese refugee caseload while continuing to advocate the possibility of voluntary repatriation for a number of cases which include several vulnerable individuals who have indicated that they would prefer to return to their country of origin. In parallel with this dual resettlement and repatriation effort, considerable progress has been made in the implementation of self-reliance measures for the majority of the residual CPA Vietnamese caseload situated in Hong Kong SAR, approximately half of whom continue to reside in the Pillar Point camp. A reduced UNHCR Sub-Office presence will be maintained in Hong Kong SAR through 1999 in support of durable solutions for the residual CPA caseload and to undertake training and promotional activities.

62. As at the end of June 1998, the residual CPA Laotian population of Ban Napho camp in Thailand stood at 1,340 individuals. Further to the Plan of Action adopted at the tripartite consultations between the Lao People's Democratic Republic, Thailand and UNHCR in Bangkok in March 1997, an individual status review of the Ban Napho camp population was undertaken by the Government of Thailand during the reporting period, with advisory assistance from UNHCR. This review determined that 89 per cent of the caseload no longer met internationally recognized refugee criteria. Under the Plan of Action, an intensified voluntary repatriation information campaign was launched. It is envisaged that screened-out individuals will repatriate to their country of origin, as well as those who have been determined to meet refugee criteria and are willing to do so voluntarily, in the coming months. UNHCR will maintain its field office presence in Nakhom Phanom through 1998 and continue to provide care and maintenance support and facilitate resettlement and alternative durable solutions for the limited number of Laotians in Ban Napho who meet refugee criteria.

63. In Viet Nam during 1998, UNHCR is providing a modest level of returnee community-based assistance in the education and health sectors, and will continue to provide reintegration grants to new eligible returnees, as well as monitoring the situation of returnees through 1999. UNHCR will further phase down its presence in Viet Nam with the redesignation of the Branch Office in Hanoi to Liaison Office, reporting to the UNHCR Regional Office in Bangkok, and through the closure of the UNHCR Office in Ho Chi Minh City at the end of 1998.

64. In The Lao People's Democratic Republic, UNHCR continues to conduct monitoring missions to rural settlements and returnee villages to assess the level of self-reliance and well-being of returnees. Following the completion of a socio-economic survey of returnee locations in the first quarter of 1998, further targeted returnee community-based assistance is being provided through 1999 to ensure that gaps identified as obstacles to sustainable reintegration are addressed. In this context, UNHCR's assistance will also focus on capacity-building at the district, provincial and central levels to strengthen institutional communication and technical expertise in the area of rural settlement management. With the recent completion of the individual refugee status review of the residual CPA Laotian caseload in Ban Napho camp, a provision has been retained for the reintegration of up to 1,100 individuals who were deemed to no longer meet internationally recognized refugee criteria and who are expected to return to their country of origin. UNHCR will retain its representational presence in the Lao People's Democratic Republic through 1999.

65. UNHCR will also continue to support the local settlement of some 291,500 Vietnamese refugees in China under a revolving-fund based credit scheme through 1999. A provision has been apportioned between General and Special Programmes to cover this assistance.

III. COUNTRY/AREA REVIEWS

1. Australia, New Zealand and the South Pacific

66. The UNHCR Regional Office in Canberra, Australia, covers Australia, New Zealand and Papua New Guinea, as well as the following twelve countries in the South Pacific: the Cook Islands, the Federated States of Micronesia, Fiji, Kiribati, the Marshall Islands, Nauru, Niue, the Solomon Islands, Tonga, Tuvalu, Vanuatu and Samoa.

(a) Beneficiaries

67. There were some 78,000 refugees and asylum-seekers in the region as at 1 January 1998, of whom 64,800 were in Australia, 4,200 in New Zealand and 8,200 in Papua New Guinea. As in the past, assistance to this population was provided by the respective Governments and, in some areas, by NGOs, with significant past inputs by UNHCR in Papua New Guinea. The asylum-seekers originate mainly from Asia, Europe and the Middle East, with a few coming from Africa and Latin America.

(b) Recent developments and objectives

68. UNHCR's role in Australia in 1998-1999 will continue to focus on protection, resettlement and external relations. The protection role is essentially advisory in light of the existence of highly effective refugee status determination procedures and appeals processes. UNHCR has, however, expressed reservations regarding immigration detention policies which can subject some asylum-seekers to mandatory detention and is hopeful that the Government's intention to streamline processing might also lead to alternatives to detention being considered.

69. As a principal resettlement and donor country, Australia has confirmed the continuing availability of 4,000 places in favour of refugees who meet the 1951 Convention criteria and are deemed to be in need of resettlement for 1998-1999. An additional 2,000 places are allocated for persons granted protection visas in Australia. A further 6,000 places are allocated to Special Humanitarian Programme and Special Assistance Category entrances.

70. As in 1996 and 1997, the Regional Tripartite Consultations on Resettlement were convened in Canberra in May 1998. The agenda of the meeting covered two themes: (i) resettlement of refugees with special needs; and (ii) strategies for Government, NGO and inter-governmental organization cooperation on resettlement. A number of innovative and forward-looking recommendations resulted from the meeting which would provide the basis for future dialogue and activities concerning resettlement to the region.

71. Despite continuing budgetary constraints, the Australian Government has maintained its nominal level of General Programmes contributions for 1998 at the level of previous years and has reported its intention to increase this level in 1999 in light of exchange rate variations. Australia also continues to make important contributions to Special Programmes needs. The Government has increased its contribution to the emergency response stand-by agreement with the Registered Engineers for Disaster Relief (RedR) Australia, which provides short-notice expertise in diverse engineering fields in support of UNHCR's humanitarian operations. The Government has also confirmed its continued financial support for the retention of a modest Secretariat structure within the premises of UNHCR's Regional Office in Bangkok to service the Asia-Pacific Consultations process.

72. During the reporting period, the UNHCR Regional Office in Canberra undertook a comprehensive range of public awareness and multi-disciplinary training initiatives within the sub-region, reaching a diverse audience of governmental and non-governmental counterparts, as well as representatives of academia, the media and special interest groups. These initiatives included refugee and humanitarian law courses and seminars and workshops on programme management, protection, resettlement and durable solutions. Further joint training initiatives with government and non-government counterparts are envisaged through and beyond 1998 to facilitate closer communication and mutual understanding of the UNHCR/Government/NGO partnership.

73. A UNHCR Senior Liaison Officer position was established in Auckland in September 1997, with office and related support costs sponsored by the New Zealand Government. This arrangement facilitates UNHCR's continued participation in various activities in New Zealand, including the refugee determination process as an ex-officio member of the Refugee Status Appeals Authority (RSAA). The Government of New Zealand recently undertook extensive consultations with UNHCR on proposed changes to its asylum and processing system. The UNHCR Senior Liaison Officer is also engaged in promotion, awareness and training initiatives. During the reporting period, the Government of New Zealand confirmed the continuing availability of 750 resettlement places for refugees for 1998-1999 and has increased its level of funding support to General Programmes and emergency needs.

74. UNHCR plans to sponsor a modest local integration assistance programme through 1998 for some 3,700 out of a total of 8,200 Irian Jayan refugees in Papua New Guinea who reside at the East Awin refugee settlement. UNHCR will further promote the possibility of voluntary repatriation for individuals who do not choose local integration and who do not wish to avail themselves of the Government's offer of permissive residency (local integration). An active training and capacity-building programme to develop the capacity for reception and protection of asylum-seekers and the determination of refugee status, which was initiated in 1998, will continue in 1999.

75. Limited assistance provided to vulnerable groups among refugees from Bougainville in the Solomon Islands will continue through 1998. Following significant progress towards peace on Bougainville during the reporting period and subject to conditions conducive to their voluntary repatriation, UNHCR will phase out this assistance in conjunction with the provision of voluntary repatriation assistance as necessary.

(c) Implementing partners/arrangements

76. In partnership with UNHCR, the Solomon Islands Red Cross Society implements the assistance project in the Solomon Islands and the Montfort Catholic Mission. The Department of Provincial Affairs of Papua New Guinea and the World Alliance of Young Men's Christian Associations (YMCA) of Papua New Guinea assist in the implementation of assistance programme for Irian Jayans in Papua New Guinea.

(d) Budget

77. The UNHCR Regional Office in Canberra implements three modest projects covering training and promotional activities, local integration and education assistance for Irian Jayan refugees in Papua New Guinea, as well as care and maintenance for refugees from Bougainville in the Solomon Islands and a limited number of refugees in the Pacific region.

(e) Post situation

78. The Regional Office staffing level has been further rationalized during the period under review. The post of Deputy Regional Representative was redeployed to Auckland from Canberra in September 1997 (as Senior Liaison Officer in Auckland) and the post of Senior Programme Assistant was discontinued in mid-1998. Because of programme and legal developments in 1997 and early 1998, the need for a more frequent presence in Papua New Guinea is perceived in 1998 and 1999. Since November 1996, a Junior Professional Officer (JPO) post for programme issues has been funded by the South Korean Government; this JPO post will continue under Japanese funding in 1999.

(f) Implementation of policy priorities (women, children, environment)

79. UNHCR actively promotes policy priorities in collaboration with relevant parliamentary constituencies in both Australia and New Zealand. Guidelines and other UNHCR materials related to refugee women and children are widely distributed to governmental and non-governmental counterparts. UNHCR continues to support Australia and New Zealand's Women-at-Risk resettlement programmes. The UNHCR programme of assistance in the Solomon Islands specifically targets vulnerable women and children, as well as elderly and sick persons.

(g) Oversight reports

80. An internal audit was initiated for Papua New Guinea in July 1998, the results of which are not yet available.

2. Bangladesh

(a) Beneficiaries

81. As at 30 June 1998, some 21,600 persons from the Rakhine State of Myanmar were assisted in two camps in southern Bangladesh. Approximately 50.5 per cent of this caseload were female. Significantly, 39 per cent of households are female-headed. In addition, 141 refugees of various origins lived in urban areas, of whom 102 were assisted by UNHCR (62 Somalis, 34 from Myanmar, five Sri Lankans and one Sierra Leonean). Of the urban caseload, 32 per cent were female and 30 per cent were children and adolescents below eighteen years of age.

(b) Recent developments and objectives

82. The voluntary repatriation of Muslim residents of the Rakhine State from Bangladesh has not been completed, leaving 21,600 refugees in two camps. During the first six months of 1997, some 10,100 persons returned to Myanmar from Bangladesh, but no further returns have taken place since July 1997. This delay in repatriation has been due in part to militant elements which took over control of camps and prevented a resumption of the repatriation process. In March 1998, voluntary repatriation counselling and registration were re-initiated in the Kutupalong camp after the authorities restored law and order in that camp. As a result, 6,744 refugees registered for repatriation. In the second camp, Nayapara, registration for voluntary repatriation resumed in May 1997. Very few families, however, have registered to return since the level of intimidation against repatriation by self-appointed refugee leaders remains high.

83. The Myanmar authorities have agreed to a resumption of voluntary repatriation. A list of 1,150 persons previously cleared for return has been submitted to the Myanmar authorities. As voluntary repatriation for all those remaining in Bangladesh is unlikely, an acceptable solution will need to be found for those with a genuine reason not to return. UNHCR hopes that a comprehensive solution can be achieved for the remaining caseload which will permit the earliest possible closure of the camps.

84. For urban refugees, care and maintenance assistance will continue while durable solutions are sought through close monitoring of the situation in their respective countries of origin, pursuing third country resettlement, wherever necessary and feasible, and implementing self-supporting activities in the country of asylum. Other activities undertaken included the promotion and dissemination of refugee law.

85. Under a bilateral arrangement between the Governments of Bangladesh and India, the voluntary repatriation of some 63,000 Chakma refugees to the Chittagong Hill Tracts was completed in February 1998.

(c) Implementing partners/arrangements

86. The care and maintenance project benefiting Myanmar refugees in the camps is implemented by the Ministry of Disaster Management and Relief (MDMR) and a number of NGOs: MSF Holland, Concern (Ireland) and the Bangladesh Community Development Centre (CODEC). WFP provides the main component of the food basket for these refugees. The care and maintenance project for the urban caseload is implemented by the Dhaka Ahsania Mission (DAM).

(d) Budget

87. The delay in the completion of voluntary repatriation from Bangladesh has necessitated the continuation of care and maintenance activities. All UNHCR funded activities related to the two remaining camps have been budgeted under the fourth joint UNHCR/WFP appeal for the voluntary repatriation from Bangladesh to Myanmar. Overall requirements, including General Programmes for 1998 and 1999, amount to $ 4.9 million and $ 1.8 million respectively.

(e) Post situation

88. UNHCR's presence in the camps has been extended due delays in the repatriation process and the need to identify a solution for the residual caseload. As a result, previously planned post reductions have been deferred; the staffing level remains at 38 posts.

(f) Implementation of policy priorities (women, children, environment)

89. As in prior years, compressed rice husks are distributed as cooking fuel to all families in the refugee camps in order to minimize the collection of firewood and mitigate against deforestation around the camps. Since 1996, kerosene for ignition of the compressed rice husks is also being distributed to refugee families so as to ensure that they do not need to collect firewood for this purpose.

90. Basic education activities continued, benefiting all children in the camps, with a special focus on the attendance of girls. Adult literacy programmes were implemented, mainly targeting young women.

91. The culturally sensitive issue of the involvement of women in the distribution of food continued to be addressed in an active manner by WFP and UNHCR, with the involvement of camp officials, NGOs and the Bangladesh Red Crescent Society which is responsible for the distribution of food in the camps. Immunization programmes continue to be implemented in all camps.

(g) Oversight reports

92. A joint WFP/UNHCR Food Aid Assessment Mission took place in March 1998. The mission proposed a slight modification to the basic food ration and confirmed the adequacy of the ongoing supplementary feeding programme for vulnerable women and children.

3. Cambodia

(a) Beneficiaries

93. As at 1 January 1998, 14 refugees (12 single male adults and two women) from various countries were registered with UNHCR in Phnom Penh, of whom eight benefited from UNHCR assistance. In 1997, 60 Cambodian ex-Sikhiu cases from Thailand voluntarily returned to Cambodia under UNHCR's auspices, as did seven individuals from China, Indonesia, France and Germany. Voluntary repatriation and reintegration assistance was provided to some 5,600 Cambodian returnees who had fled to Thailand following the eruption of political violence in July 1998 and who subsequently returned under UNHCR auspices to their country of origin.

(b) Recent developments and objectives

94. As of 1 January 1997, the UNHCR Regional Office in Thailand assumed responsibility for UNHCR's interests and activities in Cambodia. The scheduled closure of the Liaison Office as of the end of 1997 was subsequently deferred following the exodus of tens of thousands of Cambodians into Thailand, primarily from north and north-west Cambodia, during the latter half of 1997 and the first quarter of 1998.

95. The principal role of the UNHCR Liaison Office during 1998-1999 is to closely monitor evolving political developments in Cambodia and to ensure the safe return and reintegration of Cambodian refugees who repatriate voluntarily. To this end, UNHCR field offices have been established during the reporting period in Sispohon, Battambang and Siem Riep. It is hoped that the July 1998 national elections will result in political stability and peace in Cambodia, and that some 40,587 Cambodian refugees remaining in four camps in Thailand as of 30 June 1998 will be able to repatriate voluntarily and in safety to their country of origin as soon as conditions are conducive to such return. UNHCR's assistance programme for Cambodian returnees is described in Part II (above).

(c) Implementing partners/arrangements

96. The Jesuit Refugee Services (JRS) continued to provide assistance to asylum-seekers and recognized refugees during the reporting period. A number of United Nations agencies, government counterparts and local and international NGOs are either supporting the voluntary repatriation of Cambodians or implementing QIPs in support of returnees, as described in Part II (above).

(d) Budget

97. General Programmes expenditures in 1997 amounted to $ 412,000. With the deferment of the closure of the UNHCR Liaison Office in Phnom Penh in response to the Cambodia emergency, all staffing and support costs (with the exception of the post of Head of Liaison Office which is financed under the UNBRO arrangement) and returnee assistance requirements are funded under Special Programmes provisions of $ 2 million for 1998 and $ 4.7 million for 1999. These provisions may require further augmentation under a revised appeal to meet the reintegration needs of a larger number of returnees than initially projected.

(e) Post situation

98. As noted in Part II (above), the revised 1998 and initial 1999 requirements of 14 and 24 posts respectively include the creation of ten posts and the extension and transfer from General to Special Programmes funding of 14 posts in order to establish field offices in Battambang, Sisophon and Siem Riep, and to staff UNHCR's Liaison Office in Phnom Penh. These projections remain subject to the further review of field staffing levels currently in progress.

(f) Implementation of policy priorities (women, children, environment)

99. An estimated 20 per cent of the returnee population is reported to be vulnerable. This category includes handicapped and elderly individuals, female headed households and other cases who are not in a position to achieve self-dependency. UNHCR's implementing partner, the Cambodian Family Development Services (CFDS), acts as referral agency to target assistance to this population.

(g) Oversight reports

100. No reports were initiated during the reporting period.

4. China

(a) Beneficiaries

101. As at 1 January 1998, China hosted a refugee population of some 291,500 persons, the vast majority of whom were Vietnamese. A small caseload of non-Indo-Chinese refugees comprised 26 Somalis, 20 Burundi, nine Rwandans, four Iranians, one Sri Lankan and one Sudanese. Women represent some 48 per cent of the refugee population and children below five years of age ten per cent. The non-Indo-Chinese refugees reside mainly in cities throughout China and the durable solution sought for them is primarily third country resettlement. This group continued to receive material assistance pending a durable solution.

102. As at 30 June 1998, the residual CPA caseload in Hong Kong SAR comprised 1,135 Vietnamese refugees and 656 Vietnamese non-refugees. The non-Indo-Chinese caseload comprised 18 refugees from Afghanistan, Algeria, the Central African Republic, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, the Sudan, the United Republic of Tanzania and the Democratic Republic of the Congo.

(b) Recent developments and objectives

103. In June 1998, a mid-term programme review was undertaken to evaluate the progress of the revolving fund-based credit scheme for the local settlement of Indo-Chinese refugees. In 1998, 19 individual projects are being implemented for the benefit of the poorest settlements. Of these, 15 are funded under the credit scheme and four represent vocational training projects. It was reported that the projects have generally been successfully implemented and that the scheme is operating smoothly. A final contribution to the scheme is envisaged for 1999 in order to ensure sustainable self-reliance for those refugees who reportedly remain below the margins of some provincial poverty standards. New project proposals for 1999 will be funded through a combination of further UNHCR support for specific projects jointly selected with the authorities and repayments from the first generation of loans under the scheme.

104. In recent years, a number of Vietnamese refugees have reportedly expressed their interest in repatriation to the local authorities. A sample survey of the refugee population has been undertaken to assess the number and profile of those individuals who would wish to repatriate, should a repatriation arrangement be agreed upon bilaterally. The Chinese authorities have indicated an intention to offer nationality to those refugees who wish to remain in China.

105. In December 1997, the seventeenth and final organized voluntary repatriation movement of Laotian refugees took place from Yunnan province. Since the beginning of the repatriation programme in 1991, 3,759 Laotian refugees have voluntarily repatriated under UNHCR's auspices. A residual group of 805 refugees remained in China as of 1 January 1998. Further voluntary repatriations will be handled on a case-by-case basis.

106. In addition to the ongoing provision of basic subsistence assistance to individual refugees and asylum-seekers, emphasis will be placed on advocacy and the promotion of refugee law. Following a successful refugee law seminar at Beijing University in June 1997, further lectures and seminars are planned during 1998 and 1999. Public awareness initiatives concerning UNHCR's global role and activities are also being promoted. A regional emergency management training programme for government counterparts, NGO partners and UNHCR staff from China and several countries within the region is scheduled in the second half of 1998.

107. In 1998, the Hong Kong SAR Government announced the abrogation of the port of first asylum policy for Vietnamese nationals which had been adopted in 1979. Under this policy, special procedures had been established for the refugee status determination of this group. As of January 1998, Vietnamese illegal immigrants with a claim to refugee status are required to follow the procedures applicable to all other asylum-seekers in the Hong Kong SAR.

108. Throughout the reporting period, UNHCR has, in close collaboration with the Hong Kong SAR authorities, actively promoted the self-reliance of the residual CPA Vietnamese refugee and non-refugee caseload in Hong Kong SAR with the aim of phasing out UNHCR sponsored assistance activities in the Pillar Point Refugee Centre by the end of 1998. In January 1998, the authorities announced their decision to contribute towards the security and management costs of the Centre. Shortly thereafter, a significant step toward self-reliance was marked by the Hong Kong SAR authorities' decision to authorize the children of Pillar Point residents to have access to local schools and pre-schools in Hong Kong SAR as of September 1998. The Pillar Point school was subsequently closed on 30 June 1998. While self-reliance is actively pursued for the residual Pillar Point population, resettlement and voluntary repatriation continue to be explored by UNHCR according to the status of individuals. In June 1998, two Vietnamese refugees were cleared for return by their country of origin and subsequently voluntarily repatriated to Viet Nam under UNHCR's auspices.

109. During the period under review, the first UNHCR refugee law seminar was organized in the Hong Kong SAR for the benefit of immigration authorities. Lectures were also conducted in academic institutions. UNHCR will undertake further training and public information activities in Hong Kong SAR to sensitize the public to global and local refugee issues, and to promote the establishment of refugee status determination procedures consistent with international standards.

(c) Implementing partners/arrangements

110. UNHCR assistance to refugees in China is channelled through the Ministry of Civil Affairs which implements projects through its Office for the Reception and Settlement of Indo-Chinese-Chinese Refugees (ORSIR) and other offices at the provincial level. The local Offices for Overseas Chinese Affairs and Land Reclamation Bureaux are also involved. The project for care and maintenance for non-Indo-Chinese refugees is directly implemented by UNHCR.

111. In Hong Kong SAR, CARITAS is responsible for camp management activities as well as social assistance and pre-school day-care at Pillar Point. MSF managed an on-site medical clinic until February 1998. International Social Services (ISS) covered primary and secondary education, and social services in Pillar Point to the end of June 1998.

(d) Budget

112. General and Special Programmes expenditures in China in 1997, including the Hong Kong SAR, totalled $ 12 million. Revised 1998 requirements total $7.8 million, which includes a provision under Special Programmes of $ 3.5 million in light of the continued need for UNHCR to maintain its operational presence in Hong Kong SAR, primarily to support durable solutions and self-reliance oriented assistance measures in respect of the residual CPA caseload. Projected overall requirements for 1999 total $ 4 million. This projection covers UNHCR's final contribution towards the revolving fund-based credit scheme and support for the extension of UNHCR's presence in Hong Kong SAR during the phase-out of CPA assistance activities, as well subsistence assistance for individual refugees and asylum-seekers, and the promotion and advocacy of UNHCR's activities.

(e) Post situation

113. Revised 1998 and initial 1999 requirements of 16 and 8 posts respectively reflect anticipated reductions of eight posts in Hong Kong SAR during 1999. In addition, one Junior Professional Officer post will be retained in the Regional Office in Beijing.

(f) Implementation of policy priorities (women, children, environment)

114. The maintenance of existing community services programmes have ensured that non-Indo-Chinese refugee children who do not have access to ordinary schools in China under the present regulations continue to benefit from informal education classes.

115. Social assistance programmes in the Hong Kong SAR cover vulnerable and disadvantaged cases, especially female refugee heads of households.

(g) Oversight reports

116. An inspection of UNHCR activities in China and Hong Kong SAR was carried out in November 1997. On the mainland, activities reviewed included overall management, protection, programme and durable solution operations and administration. The inspection recommendations focused principally on UNHCR's complete phase out by 1999 from the revolving fund-based credit scheme in support of the sustainable local settlement of Vietnamese refugees and matters concerning the wider diplomatic and regional role entrusted to the UNHCR Office in Beijing. In respect of Hong Kong SAR, recommendations focused on the need to pursue further voluntary repatriation possibilities in conjunction with continued efforts to seek resettlement opportunities for the residual CPA Vietnamese refugee caseload, while promoting self-reliance for those refugees and non-refugees unlikely to benefit from these solutions.

5. India

(a) Beneficiaries

117. As at 1 January 1998, 18,495 urban refugees were registered with UNHCR (17,456 Afghans, 463 from Myanmar, 214 Iranians, 205 Somalis and 157 of other nationalities). Of this caseload, 52 per cent were female and 46 per cent were children and adolescents under the age of 18. This refugee caseload was reduced to 17,872 persons by the end of June 1998 due to the departure of refugees through repatriation, resettlement and spontaneous movements. UNHCR provides educational assistance, medical care and subsistence support to refugees in need and encourages self-sufficiency through vocational training and income-generation grants.

118. The Government of India provides direct assistance to some 67,000 Sri Lankan refugees in 133 camps in Tamil Nadu State, of whom 1,802 persons arrived between January and May 1998. An estimated 35,000 refugees reportedly also live outside the camps. International assistance has not been requested for either of these groups. UNHCR, however, maintained contact with this caseload through direct representations from individual refugees or concerned NGOs. UNHCR has also been involved in protection and family reunification issues concerning individual cases through consultations with the Government authorities.

119. About 63,000 Chakma refugees from the Chittagong Hill Tracts of Bangladesh have been repatriated under an agreement between the Indian and Bangladesh authorities since 1994, the last group returning to their country in February 1998.

120. 98,000 persons from the Tibet region of China are also assisted by the Indian authorities.

(b) Recent developments and objectives

121. The overall objectives of the UNHCR programme in India are: (i) to find durable solutions for urban refugees through voluntary repatriation and the promotion of self-sufficiency; and (ii) to create greater public awareness of refugee situations and issues through close cooperation with the Government authorities, NGOs and other academic or professional institutions concerned with refugee issues.

122. UNHCR continued its efforts in 1997 to encourage refugees to reduce their dependence on UNHCR financial assistance. A number of refugee beneficiaries of monthly subsistence allowance were enabled to become self-supporting during the year. However, there were also new arrivals in need of financial support, resulting in the number of refugees in need of subsistence support remaining at 2,500 persons. This figure nevertheless represents a marked reduction from the 12,500 persons in need of such support in early 1995. Efforts to reduce dependence on UNHCR financial support will continue.

123. During 1997, UNHCR assisted 185 mandate refugees with voluntary repatriation to their country of origin and 542 persons were resettled in third countries. Between 1 January and 30 May 1998, 17 persons were voluntarily repatriated and 260 resettled to third countries. In view of the current situation in Afghanistan, large scale voluntary repatriation of Afghan refugees is not expected in 1998.

124. UNHCR has been engaged in a number of activities focusing on the dissemination and promotion of refugee law. During 1998, activities have included a series of training workshops for lawyers to build a countrywide network of legal counsel, training of police service probationers at police academies on refugee law and protection issues, support for training courses for university professors, as well as for teaching and research in refugee law. The publication of a Reader on Refugee Law is envisaged which will facilitate the teaching of refugee law at interested law faculties throughout the country.

(c) Implementing partners/arrangements

125. Continuing efforts to hand over programme implementation to NGO implementing partners resulted in a further reduction in the number of UNDP-employed staff whose administrative costs are covered under a UNHCR project.

126. The Voluntary Health Association of Delhi implements activities under the health/nutrition sector and the YMCA of India under the education sector. The Indian Centre for Humanitarian Law and Research, and the Public Interest Legal Support and Research Centre implement legal assistance.

(d) Budget

127. As a result of the continued rationalization of the assistance programme in India, 1997 General Programmes expenditures were lower than the approved revised appropriation. Revised 1998 requirements stand at a level similar to 1997 actual expenditures and lower than the initial 1998 estimates.

(e) Post situation

128. Revised 1998 and initial 1999 requirements have been maintained at 29 posts, subject to the further review of field staffing levels presently in progress. As noted above, the number of the UNDP-employed staff, whose administrative costs are covered under a UNHCR project, was reduced from 16 to 7.

(f) Implementation of policy priorities (women, children, environment)

129. In facilitating self-reliance among the urban refugee caseload, particular emphasis has been placed on encouraging female headed families to undertake productive activities. UNHCR also provides support to refugee families so as to increase their capacity to provide for vulnerable members of the family. Such support includes financial assistance, individual/group counselling and vocational training.

130. Refugees continue to have the same access to low cost educational and medical facilities as Indian nationals. UNHCR provides financial assistance to needy refugee children to attend private schools where necessary and disseminates information on local medical and educational facilities.

(g) Oversight reports

131. Recommendations made by a February 1996 mission by the Inspection and Evaluation Service have been fully implemented. Efforts to hand over programme responsibilities to NGO implementing partners, as recommended, have made significant progress and will continue during 1998 and 1999.

6. Indonesia

(a) Beneficiaries

132. As at 1 January 1998, UNHCR assisted 34 refugees, including 14 residual CPA Vietnamese. The other refugees originate from Algeria, the Islamic Republic of Iran, Iraq, Palestine and Somalia. Vietnamese refugees are accommodated in a government compound in Tanjung Pinang and are cared for by the Indonesian Red Cross. Other cases reside mainly in Jakarta and surrounding urban centres. Eight refugees, including four Vietnamese, were resettled in 1997 and one refugee repatriated to Somalia in 1998. Resettlement possibilities are currently being pursued for seven Vietnamese cases, comprising twelve persons.

(b) Recent developments and objectives

133. The UNHCR Regional Office in Jakarta, which is also responsible for UNHCR's interests and activities in Malaysia, Singapore, Brunei Darussalam and the Philippines, closely monitored the impact of the financial crisis on several countries in the region and the associated population movements during the reporting period. Under the auspices of the Regional Office, UNHCR conducted emergency preparedness training and undertook contingency-related consultations with concerned Governments in the region.

134. During 1998-1999, UNHCR will further develop its relationship with the ASEAN Secretariat and the Non-Aligned Movement Centre in Jakarta to ensure an effective interface with these and other regional institutions. UNHCR will also continue its promotion activities with regard to the dissemination of refugee law and principles of international protection, as well as its public awareness activities in relation to global refugee issues, through training and public relations activities targeting government and NGO counterparts, academia, advocacy groups and the media. The UNHCR Regional Office is also offering its assistance to the Government of Indonesia in relation to the prospective repatriation and reintegration of Indonesians from Irian Jaya living in Papua New Guinea who have expressed their wish to return to their country of origin.

135. In June 1998, the Government launched a National Plan of Action on Human Rights, a five-year plan which includes the preparation for ratification of international human rights instruments, the dissemination of information and education on human rights, the implementation of priority issues on human rights and the implementation of those instruments already ratified by Indonesia. The Regional Office will offer its support, in its field of competence, for the implementation of this Plan of Action and will also continue its cooperation with the National Commissioner for Human Rights.

(c) Implementing partners/arrangements

136. The Indonesian Red Cross remains responsible for the delivery of basic assistance, including food and health care, to the residual CPA Vietnamese caseload in Tanjung Pinang and for the provision of health care for the other beneficiaries in Jakarta. The Yayasan Usaha Sejahteran Indonesia (YUSI) administered two project support staff up to 30 June 1998, from which time this arrangement was taken over by CARITAS Indonesia.

(d) Budget

137. No significant change between the 1997 expenditure, 1998 revised and 1999 initial requirement is foreseen.

(e) Post situation

138. Revised 1998 and initial 1999 requirements of seven and eight posts respectively are subject to the further review of field staffing levels currently in progress. The Government of Japan funds one Junior Professional Officer.

(f) Implementation of policy priorities (women, children, environment)

139. While the majority of urban cases are adult males, special assistance is provided for the specific needs of women. Children six years and above are given support to attend schools.

(g) Oversight reports

140. An internal audit was undertaken in June 1998, the results of which are not yet available.

7. Japan and the Republic of Korea

(a) Beneficiaries

141. During 1997, UNHCR assisted some 214 asylum-seekers in Japan, representing a sharp increase over 1996 (115). As of 1 January 1998, 133 asylum-seekers continued to receive UNHCR-provided care and maintenance assistance, together with 27 mandate refugees, of whom, 15 Vietnamese were awaiting resettlement. The asylum-seekers are mostly from Myanmar, Turkey, China, the Islamic Republic of Iran, Afghanistan and the Sudan. Approximately 52 per cent are women and children. Five residual CPA Vietnamese non-refugees remain in Japan. Over the past ten years, Japan has recognized and admitted over 2,000 refugees.

142. During 1997, there was no significant number of refugees or asylum-seekers in the Republic of Korea. Between January and June 1998, four asylum-seekers sought assistance from UNHCR.

(b) Recent developments and objectives

143. UNHCR's presence in Japan and the Republic of Korea has traditionally focused on protection, public information and fund raising. During the reporting period, the UNHCR Regional Office in Tokyo undertook a wide range of public awareness and multi-disciplinary training initiatives targeting a broad spectrum of government and non-governmental counterparts, various professional groups, academia, the media and special interest groups. Courses on refugee rights were continued at Tsukuba University in Japan and at Sookmyung University in the Republic of Korea. Emergency preparedness, contingency planning and programme management training will be further promoted in 1998-1999 and UNHCR will continue to expand the network of Japanese NGOs able to participate effectively in UNHCR activities abroad.

144. UNHCR's objectives in 1998-1999 include closer collaboration with the Governments of Japan and the Republic of Korea with regard to improved refugee status determination procedures and, in relation to Japan as a signatory to the 1951 Convention and 1967 Protocol since 1981, to advocate further for the incorporation of international refugee instruments into domestic laws. The UNHCR Regional Office in Tokyo will undertake workshops on refugee status determination procedures for government and legal profession counterparts and relevant NGOs.

145. UNHCR will maintain efforts to ensure that Japan, a principal donor to UNHCR, and the Republic of Korea, a relatively new donor, continue to receive adequate information on UNHCR's global aims and evolving operations in support of their contributions. A similar emphasis will continue with respect to communication with Japanese NGOs and the private sector from which UNHCR receives financial and advocacy support. In Japan, UNHCR will expand its support base with business communities targeting major cities in the provinces of Kansai, Kyushu and Nagoya. UNHCR will also continue to expand, diversify and institutionalize it's private sector fund raising network in the Republic of Korea.

146. The Regional Office will continue to promote local durable solutions for the small number of Vietnamese refugees and non-refugees who are unlikely to be accepted for resettlement or are unable to repatriate to their country of origin.

(c) Implementing partners/arrangements

147. UNHCR provides assistance to mandate refugees under an agreement with the Committee for Settlement of Refugees of the Catholic Bishops' Conference of Japan. Pending identification of durable solutions, refugees are accommodated at the facilities of the Committee at Maebashi, Gunma Prefecture.

148. UNHCR also provides legal advice and counselling to asylum-seekers, both directly and through the Japan Legal Aid Association (JLAA). Under an agreement with the JLAA, asylum-seekers receive free legal advice and counselling. Legal representation can also be provided in case of need, with lawyers' costs shared between the JLAA and UNHCR. Asylum-seekers in need of social counselling are referred to the International Social Service Japan (ISSJ). Under an agreement with ISSJ, miscellaneous expenses are covered for the provision of social services and counselling, including finding appropriate accommodation and employment, if required.

(d) Budget

149. The overall 1998 revised and 1999 initial budgets are slightly lower than 1997 expenditures, primarily due to exchange rate gains and notwithstanding increases in care-and-maintenance costs covering the increased caseload of mandated refugees and asylum-seekers.

(e) Post situation

150. The current approved level of 14 posts will be maintained in 1998 and 1999, subject to the review of field staffing levels currently in progress.

(f) Implementation of policy priorities (women, children, environment)

151. The Government of Japan's Refugee Status Determination mechanism was restructured in 1997 to include a female refugee officer to deal particularly with female and children asylum-seekers. As part of a public awareness enhancement programme, ongoing promotion activities include the local language production of video training materials covering principal policy areas.

(g) Oversight reports

152. No reports were initiated during the reporting period.

8. Lao People's Democratic Republic

(a) Beneficiaries

153. Some 27,845 Laotians have returned to the Lao People's Democratic Republic since the inception of UNHCR's assistance programme for returnees in 1980, of whom 24,000 returned from Thailand under the CPA. As at 1 January 1998, UNHCR provided reintegration assistance to some 610 returnees, primarily from China, Thailand (Ban Napho camp), Argentina and France. From 1 January to 30 June 1998, a further 11 Laotians returned. Some 9,700 earlier returnees will benefit from further reintegration assistance during 1998-1999.

(b) Recent developments and objectives

154. UNHCR's principle objectives in the Lao People's Democratic Republic are to monitor the well-being of returnees and to ensure that they achieve acceptable levels of self-reliance. During the reporting period, UNHCR has thus continued to conduct monitoring missions to rural settlements and returnee villages to assess the level of self-reliance achieved by returnees under UNHCR sponsored reintegration programmes and to follow-up on the well-being of individual returnees.

155. A socio-economic survey of returnee locations was completed in the first quarter of 1998 covering 16 out of 27 UNHCR sponsored rural settlement sites. By June 1998, UNHCR had surveyed nearly all rural group sites, which has provided a clearer picture of the level of self-reliance of returnee populations. In light of these findings, further targeted returnee community-based assistance is being provided through 1999 to ensure that gaps identified as obstacles to sustainable reintegration are addressed with the involvement of longer-term development agencies and within the national development framework. Such assistance provided during the reporting period includes the repair and upgrading of original water systems for 3,400 beneficiaries and additional infrastructure inputs and related community development activities directed at improving self-sufficiency for approximately 3,000 beneficiaries, including those in rural sites and some villages of individual return. Planned inputs include schools, roadworks, water for cultivation and market structures. In addition, UNHCR will provide emergency supplemental rice for 7,000 beneficiaries in selected villages in conjunction with reintegration gap assistance in order to enhance food security. The total number of projected beneficiaries for reintegration gap assistance is 9,700 returnees in rural group sites, small group villages and concentrations of individual returnees.

156. In 1998-1999, UNHCR's assistance will also focus on capacity-building at the district, provincial and central levels to strengthen institutional communication and technical expertise in the area of rural settlement management and to forge closer links with development oriented agencies and relevant ministries to ensure the integration of returnee populations within national development projects. Training programmes in health, education and income-generation will continue to be extended to returnees and local host populations. A major constraint to the establishment of sustainable livelihood systems for returnees in some 50 per cent of settlement sites has been the limited availability of cultivable land. UNHCR will continue to collaborate with competent government authorities to resolve this problem on a site by site basis.

157. With the recent completion of the individual refugee status review of the residual CPA Laotian caseload in the Ban Napho camp in Thailand, a budgetary provision has been retained for the reintegration of future returnees from Ban Napho who were deemed to no longer meet internationally recognized refugee criteria. The majority of future returnees are expected to be accommodated in either rural group settlements, small group villages, or as individual returnees rejoining their relatives. All returnees receive the same basic assistance package that includes a rice allowance, a cash grant, tools, building materials, seeds and livestock. In addition, returnees to rural group sites and small group villages also receive a home plot and land for cultivation.

(c) Implementing partners/arrangements

158. UNHCR works with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs on political issues, the Ministry of Labour and Social Welfare, UNHCR's main implementing partner in relation to returnee reintegration assistance programmes, and the Ministry of the Interior for security matters. At the district level, departments such as Agriculture, Health and Education, and the Lao Women's Union also work with UNHCR's NGO implementing partners. Current NGO partners include Consortium (USA) and Concern (Ireland). Current and former NGO partners, such as ZOA, continue activities in some of the returnee sites with external funding.

(d) Budget

159. It is envisaged that earmarked contributions under the CPA Special Programme will cover returnee reintegration and monitoring support through 1999.

(e) Post situation

160. UNHCR's staffing level in the Lao People's Democratic Republic will remain consistent at 18 posts through 1998-1999. Previously projected reductions were not feasible due to the need to support extended reintegration gap assistance and in light of delays in the return and reintegration of the residual CPA caseload of Laotians in the Ban Napho camp in Thailand.

(f) Implementation of policy priorities (women, children, environment)

161. UNHCR will continue to work with local village leadership and district personnel to maximize access to available medical and social assistance for vulnerable families and individuals. Approximately 25 per cent of returnee households are expected to have special needs. Linkages with other organizations and United Nations sister agencies (UNICEF) have also ensured that the special health and education needs of women and children returnees are addressed. Notwithstanding these efforts, traditional gender roles, the effect of the structure of assistance in the context of the refugees' experience in these roles and the limited market demand for female labour continue to favour the participation of men over women in work and community-related activities.

(g) Oversight reports

162. No reports were initiated during the reporting period.

9. Malaysia

(a) Beneficiaries

163. As at 1 January 1998, 185 persons of various nationalities were registered with UNHCR, either as persons of concern or as refugees, of whom 145 persons were receiving financial assistance. The main countries of origin include Afghanistan, Indonesia, Somalia, Iraq and the Democratic Republic of the Congo. There are seven residual CPA Vietnamese refugees remaining in Malaysia. Of the total number of persons assisted, 43 per cent are women and children. Between 1 January and the end of June 1998, some 98 persons approached the Office requesting refugee status. Since 1992, nearly 400 Bosnians have been assisted by the Government without direct UNHCR support. 243 Bosnian refugees remain in Malaysia. Some 5,000 Muslims from the Rakhine Sate of Myanmar do not receive material assistance from UNHCR, but are considered persons of concern.

(b) Recent developments and objectives

164. UNHCR's focus in Malaysia, beyond the protection of refugees and the promotion of durable solutions, includes the advocacy of refugee rights and the promotion of UNHCR's mandate and institutional goals through public awareness initiatives, constituency building and training. In light of population movements as a consequence of the financial crisis in the region, UNHCR participated in consultations with the Government of Malaysia on contingency planning. UNHCR also sponsored a regional emergency preparedness training course in Kuala Lumpur in May 1998, in which representatives of governmental and NGO partners participated, along with UNHCR staff from six countries.

165. Since 1992, UNHCR has been dealing with Indonesian asylum-seekers and refugees from the Indonesian province of Aceh. A group of 52 members and supporters of an Acehnese separatist movement had taken refuge at the UNHCR premises for more than two years until a durable solution could be found with the Malaysian authorities in 1995. 22 individuals once again occupied the UNHCR premises and the United States Embassy compound in March 1998 during the reported deportation of some 500 Acehnese who were in immigration detention. UNHCR has expressed concern regarding the apparent deportation of a number of persons of concern and the absence of access to detained asylum-seekers. Some 250 of an estimated 2,000 Acehnese in Malaysia are considered to be of concern to UNHCR. UNHCR maintains a constructive dialogue with the Malaysian authorities to explore avenues for more comprehensive durable solution-oriented approaches to the protection of asylum-seekers and refugees.

(c) Implementing partners/arrangements

166. The Malaysian Muslim Welfare Organization (PERKIM) is UNHCR's principal partner for the implementation of the assistance programme for the assisted non-Indo-Chinese urban caseload. The Malaysian Red Crescent Society (MRCS) provides for the care and maintenance of the residual CPA Indo-Chinese caseload.

(d) Budget

167. No significant variations between the initial and current 1998 estimates and 1999 projections are foreseen.

(e) Post situation

168. There is no change foreseen in the staffing level of the UNHCR Liaison Office in Kuala Lumpur comprising six posts and one Junior Professional Officer as of 1 January 1998.

(f) Implementation of policy priorities (women, children, environment)

169. Access to private schools remains the only possibility for children's primary education. UNHCR will continue to consult with the Government on the admittance of refugee children into government schools. The number of refugee women amongst the urban caseload remains at some five per cent. As in 1997, objectives during 1998-1999 will include training of government counterparts on the particular needs and problems of refugee women and children.

(g) Oversight reports

170. No reports were initiated during the reporting period.

10. Nepal

(a) Beneficiaries

171. As at 1 January 1998, 93,674 Bhutanese refugees (49 per cent female and 49 per cent children and adolescents below the age of 18) were accommodated and assisted by UNHCR in seven camps in eastern Nepal. Between 1 January and 30 June 1998, no new arrivals were reported, but the total camp population increased to approximately 94,600 persons due to natural growth. Some 15,000 persons live outside the camps without UNHCR's assistance.

172. Some 20,000 refugees from the Tibet region of China, who arrived before 31 December 1989, reside in various parts of Nepal. UNHCR provided financial assistance to the Government of Nepal for updating their registration and regularizing the status of those who have not been documented. Those who arrived in Nepal after 1 January 1990 are provided medical and other assistance through a Kathmandu-based NGO implementing partner before they travel on their own to other destinations. 2,236 persons were assisted in this manner during 1997 and 1,053 between January and June 1998.

173. As of 1 January 1998, eight Chinese, three Afghan and one Somali refugee resided in Nepal, of whom seven received assistance from UNHCR.

(b) Recent developments and objectives

174. During 1997 and the first half of 1998, bilateral discussions between the Governments of Bhutan and Nepal on the problem of the Bhutanese refugees have continued, but there has not been any agreement on durable solutions for these refugees. Meanwhile, a significant number of refugees willing to return to Bhutan without preconditions have submitted applications to UNHCR.

175. From January 1998, the basic food ration provided by WFP to refugees in camps in Nepal has been slightly reduced. A WFP-UNHCR Joint Food Aid Assessment mission which took place in May 1998 further recommended a discontinuation of blended food in the 1999 general ration. This blended food component had been introduced in 1994 to address significant malnutrition among refugees, but is no longer required. The WFP-UNHCR mission also addressed the need to promote self-sufficiency in the camps and reduce dependency. Discussions are underway with the Nepalese authorities on this matter.

176. The assistance programme for asylum-seekers from the Tibet region of China transiting through Nepal was reviewed and revised so as to improve access to medical assistance.

(c) Implementing partners/arrangements

177. Various sectors of the UNHCR-funded programme are implemented by two government agencies and seven NGO implementing partners. The Tibetan Refugee Welfare Office (TRWO) provides limited relief assistance in the urban areas to those who are in need of assistance. The care and maintenance project for the Bhutanese refugees in the camps in the Jhapa and Morang districts is implemented by the Home Ministry and NGOs, namely the Lutheran World Services (LWS), OXFAM Nepal, Save the Children Fund (SCF-UK), CARITAS Nepal, the Nepal Red Cross Society (NRCS) and the Association of Medical Doctors of Asia (AMDA). The Home Ministry and the Ministry of Forests and Soil Conservation implement the Refugee-affected Areas Rehabilitation Project Phase II (RARP II) in the two districts, which is funded by the Government of Germany.

(d) Budget

178. The increasing levels of refugee participation in the implementation of the assistance programme and in camp management enabled a reduction of the General Programmes care and maintenance project for Bhutanese refugees during 1997. Further reductions are expected in the course of 1998-1999.

(e) Post situation

179. Revised 1998 and initial 1999 requirements of 41 posts and 38 posts respectively are subject to the further review of field staffing levels presently in progress. In addition, two Junior Professional Officer posts are located in Kathmandu and Jhapa.

(f) Implementation of policy priorities (women, children, environment)

180. To ensure increased refugee management of assistance activities in camps, particular emphasis has been placed on the participation of refugee women. The Refugee Women's Forum, an organization of refugees active in all the camps, has been instrumental in ensuring the participation of large numbers of refugee women in a variety of camp activities. A high level of participation of refugee women is also evident in activities related to food distribution and the small-scale self-reliance programme initiated by WFP in coordination with UNHCR and the Nepalese authorities.

181. As of the beginning of 1998, nearly half of the camp population comprised children and adolescents under the age of 18. Of this caseload, some 36,000 children attend the primary education programme in the camps.

182. During 1995-1998, the Refugee-affected Areas Rehabilitation Project (RARP) funded by the Government of Germany has initiated a number of measures to prevent environmental degradation in areas hosting large numbers of refugees, including river bank protection, re-afforestation and the construction of feeder roads in remote areas. Following a review of these activities, the German authorities have agreed to continue funding the RARP for another four-year period.

(g) Oversight reports

183. An internal audit mission was conducted in March 1998. The audit dealt primarily with a review of financial control procedures, implementing partner accounts and field office management issues. Recommendations from this audit are being implemented.

11. Philippines

(a) Beneficiaries

184. As at 1 January 1998, UNHCR was providing protection to 303 refugees, of whom 196 persons received material and medical assistance. These persons originate mainly from the Islamic Republic of Iran (77), Palestine (51), Iraq (47), Somalia (33), Viet Nam (27), Sri Lanka (28) and Rwanda (24). About 35 per cent of the refugee population is female and almost 20 per cent are under five years of age. Between 1 January and the end of June 1998, the caseload increased to 306 (three persons were resettled and six individuals were added to the caseload). Some 1,650 Vietnamese non-refugees who were permitted to remain in the Philippines after the formal completion of the CPA benefit from a one-time UNHCR contribution towards repatriation and other solutions.

(b) Recent developments and objectives

185. The UNHCR Liaison Office in the Philippines continued to provide for the care and maintenance of the residual CPA Indo-Chinese caseload and made further progress towards the systematic phasing out of assistance to urban refugees who had achieved self-reliance. In parallel with the provision of technical legal advice to the Government on refugee-related legislation, UNHCR's objectives included promotional initiatives directed at enhancing general awareness and support for UNHCR's role and activities through constituency and capacity-building.

186. UNHCR actively promoted and advised the Government on legislation to implement the basic provisions of the 1951 Convention, to which the Philippine Government has been a signatory since March 1981. Legislation was passed culminating in the establishment, in April 1998, of the Refugee Processing Unit within the Department of Justice to determine the status of persons seeking recognition under the Convention. The legislation also incorporated the non-refoulement principle into national law and prohibits the punishment of refugees for illegal entry or presence. UNHCR also collaborated closely with the Department of Labor and Employment to activate legislation which allowed the granting of work permits to 149 refugees and to seek amendments to labour laws which would allow all refugees to work, including the possibility of their engagement in professional occupations.

187. In April 1998, the closure of the Philippine Refugee Transit Centre (PRTC) after some 20 years of existence marked the consolidation of the residual CPA Vietnamese refugee caseload into the urban caseload framework. UNHCR will continue to promote resettlement opportunities for this group during 1998-1999, while encouraging their self-reliance in the Philippines.

188. Promotional initiatives undertaken during the reporting period included lectures on refugee law at the Eurocampus and for the Philippine Alliance of Human Rights Associations, the training of junior diplomats from The Lao People's Democratic Republic, Viet Nam and the Philippines, presentations to government departments on emergency responses to refugee situations and protection workshops for NGO partners.

189. In light of financial constraints, the UNHCR Liaison Office will be closed at the end of 1998. Thereafter, two local staff members will be retained under an arrangement with UNDP. The functional structure of the UNHCR Regional Office in Jakarta will be modified to ensure the adequate and appropriate coverage of UNHCR's interests and activities in the Philippines.

(c) Implementing partners/arrangements

190. Community and Family Services International (CFSI) is UNHCR's implementing partner for the provision of financial and medical assistance as well as social and resettlement counselling to urban refugees. The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) ended its long-standing role of providing assistance to Vietnamese refugees in the Philippines on 1 April 1998 with the closure of the PRTC in Manila and the consolidation of the residual CPA caseload of 27 Vietnamese refugees under the care and maintenance project implemented by CFSI.

(d) Budget

191. The significant reductions between the 1998 revised budget and 1999 initial estimates reflect the closure of the Liaison Office in Manila as of the end of 1998.

(e) Post situation

192. With the closure of the UNHCR Liaison Office, staffing levels will be reduced from the present level of six posts to two posts by 1 January 1999.

(f) Implementation of policy priorities (women, children, environment)

193. Now that a legal infrastructure exists for the Government to determine refugee status in accordance with international standards and definitions, and in the light of progressive improvements in refugee access to the workplace and self-reliance opportunities, there has been a marked decline in the need for resettlement. Unlike in 1996, there were no Women-at-Risk resettlement cases in 1997. Women refugees are visited and counselled by CSFI's female counselors. There are no unaccompanied minors. About 40 per cent of the refugees live in outlying provinces. Refugee children are provided allowances for primary education. However, at the end of 1997, and in light of their satisfactory economic circumstances, CFSI implemented a policy of not providing material assistance, health care or education assistance to the children of refugees who are married to Filipino citizens (such children are numerous given the fact that more than half of the caseload (70 out of 137 cases) have Filipino spouses).

(g) Oversight reports

194. The Liaison Office continued to follow-up on the December 1996 UNHCR internal audit which resulted in several observations concerning unsubstantiated fund transfers, poor maintenance of financial records and inadequate reporting by UNHCR's operational partner. The Government has reported that the matter presently rests with the National Bureau of Investigation.

12. Sri Lanka

(a) Beneficiaries

195. As at 1 January 1998, 25 persons (one Afghan, one Somali, one Iranian, one Sudanese, one Palestinian and 20 Iraqis) who had been recognized as mandate refugees or of concern to UNHCR were provided with international protection and assistance. Information on UNHCR's programme for the internally displaced is provided in Part II (above).

(b) Recent developments and objectives

196. On the basis of a 1994 agreement between the Sri Lankan and Swiss Governments on the return of rejected Sri Lankan asylum-seekers, UNHCR continues to perform its liaison role between the returnees and the respective Governments and to monitor the safe re-entry of these persons in Sri Lanka. A similar agreement was signed between the Sri Lankan and Netherlands Governments in October 1997 without UNHCR's involvement.

(c) Implementing partners/arrangements

197. Care and maintenance assistance for the urban refugee caseload and activities relating to the promotion and dissemination of refugee law are directly implemented by the UNHCR Branch Office in Colombo.

(d) Budget

198. Revised 1998 General Programme requirements are lower than 1997 expenditures due to the realignment of budgets between General and Special Programmes consistent with the evolving nature of the programme. The budgetary situation under Special Programmes is reported on in Part II (above).

(e) Post situation

199. All posts in Sri Lanka are funded under Special Programmes, as reported separately under Part II (above).

(f) Implementation of policy priorities (women, children, environment)

200. Particular needs of vulnerable cases, especially single women and children, continue to receive special attention. These persons rely entirely on UNHCR assistance for their care and welfare, since they do not have access to employment, cannot enrol in educational institutions and do not benefit from social services available to Sri Lankan citizens.

(g) Oversight reports

201. No reports were initiated during the reporting period.

13. Thailand

(a) Beneficiaries

202. As at 30 June 1998, the assisted caseload of Indo-Chinese refugees and asylum-seekers in Thailand under the CPA programme comprised 44 Vietnamese non-refugees, seven Vietnamese refugees, five Cambodians (ex-Sikhiu cases) and 1,340 Laotians in Ban Napho camp.

203. As of 1 January 1998, some 100,000 refugees from Myanmar comprising ethnic Karen and Karenni minorities were assisted along the border of Thailand and Myanmar by the Burmese Border Consortium (BBC).

204. A group of 2,476 urban refugees, mainly of Burmese ethnic origin, of whom 526 resided in the UNHCR sponsored safe area in Ratchaburi Province, were assisted by UNHCR.

205. As of 30 June 1998, some 40,587 Cambodian refugees were being assisted in four camps along the border between Thailand and Cambodia. The Special Programme covering emergency relief and voluntary repatriation assistance for Cambodian refugees is described under Part II (above).

(b) Recent developments and objectives

206. During 1997 and the first half of 1998, 20 Vietnamese and 388 Laotian refugees were resettled. 58 Laotians and 60 Cambodians (ex-Sikhiu cases) also voluntarily repatriated to their country of origin under UNHCR auspices.

207. Further to the Plan of Action adopted at the tripartite consultations between the Lao People's Democratic Republic, Thailand and UNHCR in Bangkok in March 1997, an individual status review of 1,340 Laotians in Ban Napho was undertaken by the Government of Thailand during the reporting period with advisory assistance from UNHCR. This review determined that 89 per cent of the caseload were considered to no longer meet internationally recognized refugee criteria. Under the Plan of Action, an intensified voluntary repatriation information campaign was launched. It is envisaged that screened-out individuals and those who have been determined to meet refugee criteria and are willing to do so voluntarily, will repatriate to their country of origin in the coming months. UNHCR will maintain its field office presence in Nakhom Phanom through 1998 and continue to provide care and maintenance support, and facilitate resettlement and alternative durable solutions for the limited number of Laotians in Ban Napho who meet refugee criteria.

208. During the period under review, UNHCR has substantially increased the frequency of missions undertaken by staff from Bangkok to the border with Myanmar in order to monitor the situation of some 100,000 Karen and Karenni refugees who reside in 13 camps scattered along the Thai border. The security situation of the Karen deteriorated in early 1998 due to a series of incursions by armed elements and shelling at the Huay Kalok, Mae La and Mawker camps. Consequently, four refugees died, more than 30 were injured and some 7,000 were made homeless after their shelters had been destroyed by fire. Following extensive consultations with the Thai authorities, in June 1998 the Government of Thailand formally requested an expanded UNHCR role with regard to the border camps. This role is expected to facilitate access to asylum-seekers and closer cooperation with the Thai authorities on issues of protection, camp relocation assistance in relation to the security of refugee populations and durable solutions. UNHCR is currently carrying out an assessment of the prospective nature and scope of its involvement which will focus primarily on protection and security concerns, and complement, to the extent necessary, assistance provided by the Government of Thailand and NGOs.

209. Since the upgrading of the Branch Office in Bangkok to a Regional Office covering Thailand and Cambodia as of 1 January 1997, the Regional Office has actively promoted refugee law and undertaken a range of constituency-building initiatives. As noted in Part I (above), a refugee law seminar was organized in Chulalongkorn University in Bangkok in May 1998 with the participation of representatives from various countries in the sub-region. As also noted above, the third regional meeting in the framework of the Asia-Pacific Consultations was co-hosted by the Government of Thailand and UNHCR in Bangkok in June 1998, in partnership with IOM.

(c) Implementing partners/arrangements

210. The Operations Centre for Displaced Persons of the Ministry of Interior (MOI/OCDP) remained UNHCR's principal implementing partner during the reporting period. During 1998, the following voluntary agencies are funded by UNHCR: the Catholic Office for Emergency Relief and Refugees (education, vocational training and community services in the Ratchaburi Burmese Centre); IRC (water, sanitation, site maintenance); the Burmese Border Consortium (limited rice and alternative cooking fuel on the Thai/Myanmar border); and the Foundation in Support of Refugee Assistance Programme in Thailand (financial, medical, social and educational assistance to urban refugees in Bangkok). IOM remains responsible for medical clearances and in-country transportation for resettlement and voluntary repatriation cases. Under the CPA programme in Ban Napho camp, IRC (water, sanitation, health, supplementary feeding, shelter/infrastructure) and the Thai Red Cross Society (health) were implementing partners under the MOI/OCDP operational partner arrangement.

(d) Budget

211. Expenditure under General Programmes for 1997 of $ 4.9 million was less than the revised 1997 requirements of $ 6.7 million previously reported, primarily due to significant exchange rate variations. Revised General Programmes requirements for 1998 of $ 4 million are also lower than the initial estimate of $ 4.6 million due to further exchange movements and the transfer of a number of time-limited posts within the Regional Office to the Cambodia Emergency Special Programme in accordance with the needs of that operation. A further reduction to $ 3.1 million under General Programmes is anticipated for 1999. Estimated reductions under General Programmes in 1998 and 1999, however, remain subject to further review in light of the nature and scope of UNHCR's involvement with the Myanmar refugee camp populations on the Thai border.

212. Provisions under Special Programmes for Thailand in 1998 total $ 3.2 million, comprising $2.5 million to cover relief and voluntary repatriation assistance for Cambodian refugees and related Regional and Field Office staff and support costs, and $ 0.7 million under CPA funding to cover the extension of care and maintenance assistance for Laotians in the Ban Napho camp through 1998, related field office staff and support costs, and two Junior Professional Officer posts in the Regional Office. A provision of $ 2.9 million has been established under 1999 Special Programmes for the continuation of assistance to the Cambodian caseload. A further appeal to cover the revised 1998 and projected 1999 requirements of this caseload is envisaged in the second half of 1998.

(e) Post situation

213. Post reductions have been progressively implemented in Thailand over recent years consistent with the declining level of operations. The creation of several new posts, in addition to the extension and transfer from General to Special Programmes funding of a number of existing posts, were essential for the strengthening of the Regional Office structure and for the establishment of field offices in both Surin and Trat in response to the Cambodia Emergency. Staffing levels have also been affected by the extension of UNHCR's field presence in Nakhom Phanom to end-1998. Revised 1998 and initial 1999 requirements of 38 posts and 31 posts respectively are subject to a further review of field staffing levels currently in progress.

(f) Implementation of policy priorities (women, children, environment)

214. As indicated under Part II (above), emphasis continues to be placed on the specific needs of women and children in all relevant sectors of assistance. In the Ban Napho camp and the Ratchaburi Burmese Centre, education and vocational traning activities are equally oriented towards promoting the reintegration and self reliance of women upon return to their country of origin. These activities will focus, in particular, on women of ethnic minority origins in light of their special reintegration needs.

(g) Oversight reports

215. An internal audit review of UNHCR activities in Thailand was undertaken in November 1997. Emphasis was placed by the auditors on the availability of outstanding audit reports from the Auditor General of Thailand to facilitate the closure of projects.

14. Socialist Republic of Viet Nam

(a) Beneficiaries

216. A total of 34,000 Vietnamese non-refugees repatriated to Viet Nam from Hong Kong SAR, Indonesia, Malaysia, Philippines, Thailand and Japan during 1996-1997. A further 31 individuals returned between 1 January and 30 June 1998. As of 30 June 1998, some 109,761 Vietnamese non-refugees had returned to their country of origin under UNHCR auspices since the inception of the CPA in 1989.

217. Some 15,000 Cambodians, of whom 13,000 are ethnic Vietnamese and 2,000 are ethnic Chinese, remain in the Mekong Delta provinces of Viet Nam. The latter constitute the residual caseload of those who arrived between 1993 and 1995, while the former arrived between 1978 and 1980. This population resides in former camps which are now virtually transformed into self-sustaining villages. While UNHCR periodically monitors their situation, assistance is not required.

(b) Recent developments and objectives

218. A total of 175 micro-projects in 48 provinces were implemented during 1997, the last year of the UNHCR Micro-Project Scheme. Since 1992, a total of 685 micro-projects were implemented in 61 provinces. These included a wide range of returnee community support activities, such as improvements to schools, dispensaries, roads, bridges and other urban and rural community facilities, as well as vocational training and income-generation projects.

219. The main role of UNHCR in Viet Nam in 1998-1999 is to monitor the well-being of returnees and to provide new eligible returnees with reintegration grant assistance. In 1998, a limited level of returnee community-based assistance in the education and health sectors is being provided and a modest provision has been established for further reintegration support in the event of the return of some of the residual CPA Vietnamese caseload in the region.

220. UNHCR will further phase down its presence in Viet Nam with the redesignation of the Branch Office in Hanoi to Liaison Office, reporting to the UNHCR Regional Office in Bangkok, Thailand, and through the closure of the UNHCR Office in Ho Chi Minh City at the end of 1998.

(c) Implementing partners/arrangements

221. The main implementing partner of UNHCR continues to be the Ministry of Labour, Invalids and Social Affairs (MOLISA) at both the capital and provincial levels. MOLISA is responsible for the implementation and monitoring of community-based micro-project assistance. The Ministry of Interior remains responsible for returnee clearance and reception procedures, and for the transportation of returnees to their places of origin.

(d) Budget

222. Notwithstanding a significant reduction in comparison with 1997 expenditure of $7.2 million, revised overall requirements in 1998 of $ 2 million exceeded the initial appropriation of $ 1.1 million due to the need for an augmentation of returnee community-based assistance and a six-month delay in the closure of the UNHCR Office in Ho Chi Minh City. Overall requirements for 1999 of $ 0.6 million reflect further significant staffing reductions within Branch Office Hanoi and the phasing-out of returnee community-based assistance.

(e) Post situation

223. Staffing levels in Viet Nam will be reduced from 34 posts in 1998 to 9 posts during 1999.

(f) Implementation of policy priorities (women, children, environment)

224. UNHCR will continue to play an active role in referring vulnerable returnees, including women and children, to the European Union Returnee Assistance Programme and other specialized entities which provide specific assistance to vulnerable returnees.

(g) Oversight reports

225. An inspection mission was undertaken in November 1997 which focused on the gradual phasing out of UNHCR community-based micro-project assistance and returnee monitoring activities. The Inspector's report emphasized the importance of the promotion of voluntary repatriation possibilities for Vietnamese refugees in Hong Kong SAR and a limited number in China, to ensure durable solutions for these caseloads.

15. Other countries in Asia

Papua New Guinea

(a) Beneficiaries

226. As of 1 January 1998, Papua New Guinea hosted some 8,200 Irian Jayan refugees, of whom some 3,700 continued to reside in the East Awin refugee settlement near Kiunga town in the Western Province, and over 4,000 live in villages along the border with Indonesia. A further 300 live within urban areas and small towns throughout the country. Irian Jayans are recognized as prima facie refugees by the Government. UNHCR sponsored assistance targets mainly the residents of the East Awin refugee settlement. Urban refugees do not receive UNHCR material assistance apart from educational and vocational training provided to a limited group of needy individuals.

(b) Recent developments and objectives

227. The UNHCR Regional Office in Canberra is responsible for UNHCR's interests and activities in Papua New Guinea since the UNHCR Liaison Office in Port Moresby was closed on 30 June 1996. The adoption by the Government, in May 1996, of a policy of permissive residency for Irian Jayan refugees allows for the permanent residency and naturalization of Irian Jayans. UNHCR will support a modest local integration programme throughout 1998 for Irian Jayan refugees in the East Awin settlement. One-time cash grants will be provided to beneficiaries of the permissive residency programme to facilitate their local integration. The introduction of this programme remains subject to an agreement between the Government and local landowners concerning compensation for the refugee settlement site. UNHCR will also promote the possibility of voluntary repatriation for Irian Jayan refugees who do not wish to avail themselves of the Government's offer of local integration through permissive residency.

228. A comprehensive training and capacity-building programme has been initiated in 1998 and will continue through 1999 to develop local capacity for the reception and protection of asylum-seekers and determination of refugee status. Training sessions for airport immigration, as well as local and provincial officials, have been undertaken in the first half of 1998.

(c) Implementing partners/arrangements

229. The UNHCR assistance programme is implemented by the Montfort Catholic Mission in the East Awin settlement and by the Young Women's Christian Federation. The Division of Border Affairs of the Government of Papua New Guinea is responsible for health and education activities, and is expected to implement local integration assistance under the permissive residency arrangement. As there are no UNHCR Offices or staff in Papua New Guinea, the main interlocutors are the Department of Provincial and Local Government Affairs with the Immigration Division of the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade.

(d) Budget

230. No significant variations between 1997 expenditures, revised 1998 and projected 1999 requirements are envisaged.

(e) Post situation

231. Following the closure of the Liaison Office in 1996, activities in the East Awin settlement are monitored by staff from the Regional Office in Canberra through periodic missions.

(f) Implementation of policy priorities (women, children, environment)

232. Special attention will continue to be focused on vulnerable refugee women and children, and the sick and elderly, as well as the vocational training needs of female heads of household within the prospective East Awin local settlement caseload.

(g) Oversight reports

233. An internal audit was undertaken in July 1998, the results of which are not yet available.

Singapore

(a) Beneficiaries

234. As at 1 January 1998, there were five refugees receiving UNHCR sponsored assistance in Singapore. In 1997, 36 persons applied for asylum, 35 of whom were considered persons of concern.

(b) Recent development and objectives

235. The Liaison Office in Singapore was closed in July 1996. Since then, UNHCR's interests and activities in Singapore have been supervised by the Regional Office in Jakarta. As in 1997, a modest level of support to provide care and maintenance assistance to a small number of refugees and asylum-seekers will continue to be provided during 1998 and 1999.

(c) Implementing partners/arrangements

236. As UNHCR's implementing partner, the Catholic Welfare Services (CWS) receives and assists refugees and asylum-seekers, and undertakes initial case analysis under the guidance of the UNHCR Regional Office in Jakarta.

(d) Budget

237. Revised requirements for 1998 ($ 89,700) are identical to the initial appropriation for 1998. Initial 1999 projections are lower than the 1998 revised requirements due to a projected lower level of beneficiaries.

(e) Post situation

238. There are no UNHCR posts in Singapore.

(f) Implementation of policy priorities (women, children, environment)

239. Not applicable to the present caseload/circumstances.

(g) Oversight reports

240. No reports were initiated during the reporting period.

(Note: Tabular Annexes I and II not included in this online version. See your nearest UN Depository Library.)

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1 All posts (Professional and General Service), including those projected for less than a full year, but excluding JPOs working in the following countries as at 1 January 1998: Australia (1), Bangladesh (1), Cambodia (1), China (1), India (1), Indonesia (1), Lao People's Democratic Republic (1), Malaysia (1), Myanmar(3), Nepal (2), Philippines (1) and Thailand (2).