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MONDAY, OCTOBER 28, 1985
+AND I VERY MUCH HOPE THAT THERE WILL BE A CONCERTED INTERNATIONAL EFFORT TO DIMINISH SOME OF THIS PROBLEM THAT HONG KONG HAS BRAVELY TAKEN ON ITSELF, HE SAID.
IN REPLY TO A QUESTION WHETHER HONG KONG SHOULD ABOLISH THE CLOSED CAMP POLICY FOR VIETNAMESE REFUGEES, MR RENTON SAID BOTH THE HONG KONG GOVERNMENT AND BRITAIN WOULD LIKE TO SEE THE CLOSED CAMP POLICY ABOLISHED.
*BUT ONE HAS TO BE VERY CONSCIOUS OF THE CIRCUMSTANCES THAT EXIST AND THE CIRCUMSTANCES THAT EXIST IN HONG KONG. AND I THINK GIVEN THOSE IT IS NOT VERY REALISTIC AT THE MOMENT TO ASSUME THAT THE CLOSED CAMPS WILL BE ABOLISHED, HE SAID.
+ I THINK WHAT IS IMPORTANT IS THERE SHOULD BE AS MUCH EDUCATION AND VOCATIONAL TRAINING WITHIN THE CLOSED CAMPS IN ORDER TO MAKE THE BETTER OPPORTUNITIES FOR THE REFUGEES INSIDE WHEN THEY EVENTUALLY GET RESETTLEMENT, MR RENTON SAID.
STATE MINISTER VISITS REFUGEE CAMPS ******
THE MINISTER OF STATE FOR FOREIGN AND COMMONWEALTH AFFAIRS, MR TIMOTHY RENTON, VISITED TWO VIETNAMESE REFUGEE CENTRES THIS (MONDAY) AFTERNOON,
ACCOMPANIED BY THE COMMISSIONER OF CORRECTIONAL SERVICES, MR CHAN WA-SHEK, AND PRINCIPAL ASSISTANT SECRETARY FOR SECURITY (OPERATIONS AND REFUGEES), MR KEN WOODHOUSE, MR RENTON FIRST FLEW BY HELICOPTER TO THE BOWRING CLOSED CENTRE IN TUEN MUN.
HE WAS MET ON ARRIVAL BY CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER. SECURITY BRANCH (REFUGEES DIVISION), MR SIMON SIT: THE SUPERINTENDENT OF THE CENTRE, MR FRANCIS YANG; THE FIELD DIRECTOR OF THE SAVE THE CHILDREN FUND, HONG KONG, COLONEL ROBERT REESE, AND THE CO-ORDINATIN (SOCIAL AND EDUCATIONAL SERVICE) OF THE CENTRE, MRS SHIRLEY FOZZAR.
MR RENTON SPENT ABOUT AN HOUR TOURING THE VARIOUS FACILITIES PROVIDED AT THE CENTRE FOR ABOUT 950 VIETNAMESE REFUGEES BEFORE LEAVING FOR THE KAI TAK TRANSIT CENTRE.
THERE, MR RENTON WAS MET BY THE CHARGE DE MISSION OF THE UNHCR IN HONG KONG, MR FAZLUL KARIM; THE DEPUTY CHARGE DE MISSION, MR PETER MEIJER: THE CHAIRMAN OF THE HONG KONG RED CROSS TRANSIT CENTRE MANAGEMENT COMMITTEE, MR J.W. SWEETMAN, AND THE MANAGER OF THE CENTRE, MR HENRY LOKĖ,
/Chine Re