t
4.
3.
Coupled with the recent movement of forced repatriation of those being screened out (wrongly by faults of the system) the process is a menace to justice and humanity of the whole world. Our position is that the process of screening must be postponed and none of those screened out should be forced to move against their will.
We propose that:
(a) Nationals of countries in the West with language and cultural
knowledge of the situation of the asylum seekers be employed
as counsellors, lawyers and interpretors - if the process of
screening should continue which we do not believe it should (please see proposal).
(b) After the screening and all the appeals, if a person being
screened out wishes to remain in the situation he was in in
Hong Kong rather than return to Vietnam he should not be forced: no amount of denial on the part of officials in Hong Kong of his claim for fear of persecution would procure security for him back in Vietnam.
(c) Actual camp conditions for both those screened in and screened out should be improved to lessen the effect on its inmates for years to come, in particular, to give the children a better chance to grow up.
(d) To call an urgent meeting of the Governments concerned, the
UNHCR, independent organisations involved in the issues of refugees and the refugees representatives to form a task force. The job of this task force is to:
re-examine the concept of screening
if unavoidable, establish a proper criteria procedure and securing resourses and negotiating for authority to ensure proper implementation of the new screening procedure
- to be accountable in the long term for the effect of
the process on people so that the international community can learn through this expensive experience. in terms of human suffering.
1 January 1990