WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 29, 1989
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SOLUTION THROUGH PLAN OF ACTION BEING SOUGHT
THE SECRETARY FOR SECURITY, THE HON GEOFFREY BARNES, TODAY (WEDNESDAY) REITERATED THAT THE POLICY OF THE HONG KONG GOVERNMENT AND THE BRITISH GOVERNMENT IS TO SEEK A SOLUTION TO THE TERRITORY'S VIETNAMESE PROBLEM THROUGH THE IMPLEMENTATION OF THE COMPREHENSIVE PLAN, OF ACTION (CPA)..
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"BUT THIS WILL ONLY BE ATTAINABLE IF THE CPA IS IMPLEMENTED FULL, MR BARNES SAID IN THE DEBATE IN THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL ON A MOTION CALLING FOR URGENT MANDATORY REPATRIATION OF NON-REFUGEE VIETNAMESE BOAT PEOPLE.
LEE, FOR
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MR BARNES COMMENDED THE SENIOR MEMBER, THE HON ALLEN THE RESTRAINED AND MODERATE TONE OF HIS MOTION AT A TIME WHEN THE FRUSTRATION OF MEMBERS, AND THE SCOPE AND NATURE OF THIS EXTRAORDINARILY DIFFICULT PROBLEM, MIGHT
HAVE RESULTED IN HARSHER WORDS AND CALLS FOR MORE EXTREME MEASURES.
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WELL
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"THIS WOULD HAVE BEEN UNDERSTANDABLE, BUT IT WOULD NOT HAVE BEEN RIGHT, HE SAID, ADDING THAT THE MOTION BEFORE THE COUNCIL EMBODIED THE PRESENT AIMS AND POLICY OF THE GOVERNMENT AND THEREFORE ONE TO WHICH THE GOVERNMENT FULLY SUBSCRIBED.
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HE POINTED OUT THAT THE O'PA AGREED AT THE INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE ON INDOCHINESE REFUGEES IN GENEVA THIS YEAR WAS AN INTER-DEPENDENT AND COMPREHENSIVE PACKAGE OF MEASURES WHICH SOUGHT ΤΟ IDENTIFY AND PRESERVE THE RIGHTS OF THE GENUINE REFUGEES WHILE AT SAME TIME ADDRESSING ITSELF TO THE OVERALL PROBLEM CAUSED BY THE OUTFLOW FROM VIETNAM,
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"IF THE CPA, CANNOT PROVIDE THE COUNTRIES OF FIRST ASYLUM WITH THE RELIEF THEY SO BADLY NEED. THE CPA ITSELF WILL BE IN JEOPARDY.
"MANDATORY · REPATRIATION SHOULD BE SEEN FOR WHAT IT IS, AN IMPORTANT ELEMENT IN PRESERVING THE PRINCIPLE OF FIRST ASYLUM," MR BARNES SAID.
HE POINTED OUT THAT SOME GOVERNMENTS, EXASPERATED WITH THE LACK OF PROGRESS TOWARDS FULL IMPLEMENTATION HAD. INDEED, ALREADY RETREATED FROM THEIR FIRST ASYLUM COMMITMENTS.
"THE ONLY WAY ΤΟ ENSURE HUMANE TREATMENT FOR ALL ASYLUM SEEKERS IS TO PROVIDE GOVERNMENTS WITH AN INTERNATIONALLY ESTABLISHED MECHANISM FOR BRINGING THE PROBLEM UNDER CONTROL.
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"THAT MEANS ADEQUATE AND HUMANE METHODS OF DEALING WITH GENUINE REFUGEES, AND WITH THOSE WHO ARE FOUND NOT TO BE REFUGEES.
"THOSE WHO ARGUF AGAINST THE FULL IMPLEMENTATION OF THE CPA ARE PUTTING FIRST ASYLUM ITSELF AT RISK, MR BARNES SAID.
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/HE POINTED