THURSDAY, JUNE 15, 1989
5
PAPER ON ALL FORMS OF REPATRIATION
HONG KONG WILL PREPARE A PAPER COVERING ALL FORMS OF REPATRIATION WHICH WILL BE PRESENTED AT THE SECOND MEETING OF THE UNHCR STEERING COMMITTEE ON JULY 24, THE SECRETARY FOR SECURITY. MR GEOFFREY BARNES, SAID TODAY (THURSDAY).
THE PAPER WILL COVER ALL ASPECTS OF HOW PEOPLE CAN BE RETURNED TO VIETNAM, HE TOLD REPORTERS AT THE END OF THE FIRST MEETING OF THE STEERING COMMITTEE IN GENEVA.
MR BARNES POINTED OUT THAT HONG KONG HAS QUITE A LOT OF EXPERIENCE IN REPATRIATION, INCLUDING THE VOLUNTARY REPATRIATION PROGRAMME, THE RETURN OF ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS TO CHINA, AND THE INVOLUNTARY REPATRIATION OF ECVII'S.
THE PAPER WILL SET OUT HONG KONG'S EXPERIENCE AND PROPOSALS HOW REPATRIATION CAN BE ACHIEVED, HE SAID.
ON
MR BARNES TOLD REPORTERS THAT A TOTAL OF 57,600 RESETTLEMENT PLACES HAVE BEEN OFFERED BY RESETTLEMENT COUNTRIES.
THIS IS A VERY SUBSTANTIAL AMOUNT AND WILL
CERTAINLY BE OF
GREAT BENEFIT TO HONG KONG," HE SAID.
ON THE CONDITIONAL OFFER OF A TRANSIT CENTRE FOR REFUGEES BY THE PHILIPPINES. MR BARNES SAID THE UNHCR HAS AGREED TO UNDERTAKE A FEASIBILITY STUDY AND TO REPORT TO THE COMMITTEE ON JULY 24.
THE SECRETARY FOR SECURITY ALSO TOLD REPORTERS THAT THE VIETNAMESE REPRESENTATIVE HAS GIVEN AN ASSURANCE THAT THEY WERE SERIOUS ABOUT THE DELIBERATIONS, AND THAT THEY INTENDED ΤΟ CARRY THROUGH ALL ELEMENTS OF THE COMPREHENSIVE PLAN OF ACTION.
HE SAW THIS STATEMENT AS A SIGN OF GREATER FLEXIBILITY ON THE PART OF THE VIETNAMESE, SINCE IT WAS A CONSIDERED ONE AND THE WORDS WERE CHOSEN VERY CAREFULLY.
HE ADDED THAT THE MESSAGE HAS GONE VERY CLEARLY ΤΟ THE VIETNAMESE THAT THE MEETING EXPECTED THEM TO TAKE FIRM STEPS TO STOP THE OUTFLOW OF BOAT PEOPLE, AND THAT THEY WERE EXPECTED TO REPORT ON THIS AT THE SECOND MEETING IN JULY.
"WE HAVE ACHIEVED A LITTLE BIT MORE THAN WHAT I THOUGHT WE WERE GOING TO ACHIEVE, HE ADDED.
..
BEFORE THE MEETING, MR BARNES SAID HONG KONG WOULD BE PRESSING THE UNHCR STEERING COMMITTEE TO GET AN EARLY TIME FRAME ATTACHED то VARIOUS ELEMENTS OF THE COMPREHENSIVE PLAN OF ACTION AGREED AT THE INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE.
MR BARNES SAID IT WAS IMPORTANT TO GET THE TIME TABLE ORGANISED WHILE ALL THE REPRESENTATIVES WERE STILL THERE.
/STRESSING THAT