Australia to evacuate up to 600 nat

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Subject: Australia to evacuate up to 600 nationls

Hong Kong Standard July 10th
CANBERRA: The Australian government announced on Thursday it is sending 
five C-130 transport planes to begin the evacuation of up to 600 
Australians from Cambodia. 

The airlift, to begin on Friday, will also take out citizens of several 
other countries under consular agreements, including 244 Canadians, 
eight New Zealanders and one Swede. 

The United States, Germany and Britain also asked Australia to fly out 
some of their nationals, the Department of Foreign Affairs said. 

Two Australian military C-130 transport planes will fly from Butterworth 
air base in Malaysia and three will fly out of Darwin, in northern 
Australia, on Friday, to Phnom Penh. 

The planes will pick up Australians and fly them out to Penang, 
Malaysia, a statement from Foreign Minister Alexander Downer's office 
said. 

New Zealand's government announced it is also sending one of its C-130 
Hercules planes to northern Australia as backup in case more flights are 
needed. 

More than 500 Australians were registered with the Australian Embassy in 
Phnom Penh early this week, but numbers swelled to more than 600 by 
Wednesday after a sudden influx of Cambodians with dual passports. 

``The most recent contact with Australians in Cambodia late yesterday 
 ... demonstrated that a growing number of Australians were now 
expressing a desire to leave Cambodia,'' the statement said. 

``On this basis, coupled with the lack of a ready availability of 
departure by commercial means, the government had decided to offer 
Australians the opportunity to leave Phnom Penh quickly by Australian 
Defence Force aircraft if they wish to do so,'' it said. 

In addition to the planes, about 90 defence personnel with experience in 
handling evacuations and crowd control are ready to fly in. 

Earlier on Thursday, Mr Downer urged non-essential Australian staff 
working in Cambodia, and particularly in Phnom Penh, to leave the 
country. 

Mr Downer told reporters he expected the first Australians to begin 
leaving Phnom Penh for Penang on Friday morning. 

``I understand there will be some Australian troops on the planes in 
order to just ensure there is an orderly boarding of the aircraft,'' he 
said. _ AP 



"THERE WILL BE NO REAL DEMOCRACY IF WE CAN'T GURANTEE THE RIGHTS OF THE 
MINORITY ETHNIC PEOPLE.  ONLY UNDERSTANDING THEIR SUFFERING AND HELPING 
THEM TO EXERCISE THEIR RIGHTS WILL ASSIST PREVENTING FROM THE 
DISINTEGRATION AND THE SESESSION."  "WITHOUT UNDERSTANDING THEIR 
STRENGTH, WE CAN'T TOPPLE THE SLORC AND BURMA WILL NEVER BE IN PEACE."


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