1
2
3
4
5
Date:
Time:
Reporter:
PMO/5
have changed, the agreement reached by these countries with Vietnam is one which will stick and they will be properly treated when they
get back. I think, you know, there are a lot of stages yet to go before we get to repatriation. All I am saying is that this is the
sort of line that we should be pursuing.
6
7
MR ?
When will the British Government start
8
approaching the Vietnam Government ?
9
10
MINISTER:
Well, I don't know.
You see, I will have
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
I
to go back and talk about this with colleagues. I am not in the Foreign Office, I don't know whether the best approach would be an approach by an individual government or by the group of governments who together take in refugees at the present time. think these are all to be considered. But I shall go back and give my impressions and I certainly think that we ought to be thinking whether the time hasn't arrived for some body or other to examine with the Vietnam Government whether the time might not arrive when resettlement is a practicability.
No, I don't believe they have. there has been anything resembling such an approach yet. suggesting that might be the next step.
I don't think
I am
19
20
21
22
MR ?
the procedure ?
Do you know whether they have started
23
24
MINISTER:
25
26
27
28
MR ?
29
30
31
32
33
34
35
36
If an economic refugee risks death by drowning, sharks, Thai pirates, to come to Hong Kong, do you think it is fair to send him back to the country whose conditions he loathed so much. that he took those risks to come here ?
That
MINISTER: Well, you have got a very good point. is why you couldn't pursue a policy of repatriation without satisfying, for instance, the British people in the case of our being involved in such a policy, that they weren't going to be treated abominably when they got back. That is exactly the point that I
VERBATIM REPORTERS
HONG KONG
5-8496480
5-497048
5-8496981 5-8932546 5-8122436