FRIDAY, OCTOBER 14, 1988
PROGRESS IN SECOND ROUND VBP TALKS
THE VIETNAMESE HAVE COME A LONG WAY TOWARDS
UNDERSTANDING THE BOAT PEOPLE PROBLEM AS A WHOLE AND A LOT OF PROGRESS HAS BEEN MADE DURING THE SECOND ROUND OF TALKS JUST HELD IN LONDON.
THIS WAS SAID TODAY (FRIDAY) BY THE POLITICAL ADVISER, MR RICHARD CLIFT, AT THE AIRPORT ON HIS RETURN AFTER ATTENDING THE TALKS. COMING BACK TOGETHER WITH MR CLIFT WERE THE SECRETARY FOR SECURITY, MR GEOFFREY BARNES, AND THE PRINCIPAL ASSISTANT SECRETARY FOR SECURITY, MR ALAN FUNG.
MR BARNES ADDED THAT THE TWO SIDES HAVE MOVED MUCH CLOSER TOGETHER THAN THEY WERE BEFORE.
1 THINK THE MOVE, FROM OUR POINT OF VIEW, HAS PARTICULARLY NOTICEABLE ON THE VIETNAMESE SIDE," HE SAID.
MR CLIFT SAID THE VIETNAMESE WERE NOW OBVIOUSLY INTERESTED IN SOLVING A PROBLEM WHICH DID NOT MAKE THEM APPEAR GOOD LIGHT, AND THAT THEY NOW REALISED THAT THE PROBLEM WAS MUCH COMPLEX THAN THEY THOUGH'T.
+++
BEEN
VERY
IN A MORE
INTEREST
1 THINK WHAT WE ARE GOING TO DO NOW, WHICH IS IN OUR TOO, IS TO START ON THE PEOPLE WHO HAVE APPLIED TO GO BACK, AND THEN TO WORK ON TO THE OTHERS, HE SAID.
H
MR CLIFT ADDED THAT INITIALLY, ABOUT 350 VIETNAMESE BOAT PEOPLE WHO HAVE ASKED TO GO BACK WOULD BE INVOLVED, AND THAT 110 NAMES WHICH HAVE BEEN VALIDATED BY THE UNHCR HAVE BEEN HANDED OVER TO THE VIETNAMESE TEAM.
"WE RECOGNISE IT IS NOT THE END OF THE ROAD, MR BARNES ADDED.
"THERE IS A LOT STILL TO BE DONE, BUT CERTAINLY WHAT WE HAVE AGREED NOW IN LONDON IS THE BASIS FOR THE WAY FORWARD," HE SAID.
"THERE IS NO QUESTION OF THE 9.500 (VIETNAMESE BOAT PEOPLE BEING PUT ON ONE SIDE, HE SAID. "THEY ARE AN INTEGRAL PART OF WHAT WE WERE TALKING ABOUT, AND THEY ARE AN INTEGRAL PART OF WHAT WAS AGREED."
ASKED ABOUT DETAILS OF THE DISCUSSION CONCERNING REPATRIATION, MR CLIFT SAID A LOT OF IT HAD TO DO WITH THE ROLE OF THE UNHCR.
"ONE POINT THAT WAS NOTICEABLE WAS THAT BOTH SIDES AGREED THAT
IMPORTAN'T THE UNHCR WOULD PLAY AN
ROLE AND CERTAINLY WE,
AND WE IMAGINE THE VIETNAMESE WILL BE IN TOUCH WITH THE UNHCR ON THIS
SOON,
HE SAID.
+4
/MR BARNES