RESTRICTED
22.
Another agreement was reached in February 1990 by the
British and Vietnamese Governments on the return to Vietnam
of 1,000 volunteers a month as from May, after which there
was a steady increase in the number of volunteers returning
home to Vietnam. The numbers, however, still fell short of
the agreed figure of 1,000 per month.
23.
In September, following discussions in Hanoi, a third agreement was reached between the British, Vietnamese and Hong Kong Governments and the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees on streamlined procedures which
should help to accelerate the voluntary repatriation
programme. Also agreed was a programme to repatriate non-refugees, who, while not actively volunteering to return to Vietnam, were nevertheless not opposed to repatriation. This new programme is administered by the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees. The first
flight under the new programme took place on 1 December
1990.
24. On the international front, an informal meeting of the
Steering Committee was held in May in Manila, but no
agreement was reached on the central issue of mandatory repatriation or on the timing for the next formal Steering Committee meeting.
25. Meanwhile, a new centre at Tai A Chau, with a major contribution by the British Government of eight million pounds which meet half the cost, was completed in January 1991. This new centre will provide extra accommodation
facilities and thus make it possible to close down some existing centres and relieve overcrowding in others. It is
the intention of the Hong Kong Government to vest management of the new centre in the hands of a voluntary agency with a
view to experimenting with a more open and liberal approach
to camp management.
ALAAEV/9
RESTRICTED