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WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 29, 1989
HE POINTED OUT THAT GOVERNMENT
OBJECTIVES IN THEIR SIMPLEST FORMS WERE TWO-FOLD: FIRST то MAKE PROPER ARRANGEMENTS FOR THE RESETTLEMENT OF ALL GENUINE REFUGEES AND THE DEPARTURE OF ALL NON-REFUGEES FROM HONG KONG; AND SECONDLY, TO PREVENT MORE VIETNAMESE BOAT PEOPLE FROM ARRIVING IN HONG KONG.
"THESE ARE OUR AIMS. AND EVERYTHING ELSE, HOWEVER IMPORTANT OR HOWEVER COMPLICATED, RELATES TO THESE TWO CENTRAL ISSUES, HE SAID.
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MR BARNES POINTED OUT THAT WITH SPECIAL ARRANGEMENTS FOR LONG STAYERS, THE RESETTLEMENT OF THE REFUGEES WOULD BE ACHIEVED UNDER THE CPA, AND THERE HAD BEEN SUFFICIENT PLEDGES FROM RESETTLEMENT COUNTRIES FOR THAT PURPOSE.
"WE'RE GRATEFUL FOR THESE OFFERS AND FOR THE RESETTLEMENT OF GENUINE REFUGEES.
"IF THE PROPORTION OF VIETNAMESE FOUND BY THE SCREENING PROCESS TO BE REFUGEES CONTINUES AT ROUGHLY ITS PRESENT RATE, WE CAN EXPECT SOME 17,000 OF OUR PRESENT VIETNAMESE POPULATION TO QUALIFY FOR RESETTLEMENT.
"OF THESE WE MIGHT EXPECT SOME 4,000 TO BE RESETTLED BETWEEN NOW AND JUNE 1990, HE SAID.
"FOR THOSE WHO ARE FOUND NOT TO BE REFUGEES BY WHAT, F MUST STRESS, IS A VERY THOROUGH AND CAREFUL SCREENING AND APPEAL PROCESS, THERE IS NO ALTERNATIVE BUT TO RETURN TO VIETNAM. AS NON-REFUGEES.
MR BARNES REAFFIRMED THAT RESETTLEMENT WAS NOT OPEN TO NON-REFUGEES, AND THE NON-REFUGEES COULD NOT REMAIN FOR EVER IN DETENTION IN HONG KONG.
"THAT WOULD BE THE ULTIMATE INHUMANITY. THEIR OPTIONS ARE ΤΟ RETURN VOLUNTARILY, OR TO BE RETURNED INVOLUNTARILY, HE SAID.
"
MR BARNES NOTED THAT SOME COUNTRIES AND SOME PEOPLE DISLIKED THE IDEA OF MANDATORY REPATRIATION OF NON-REFUGEES AND THEY WOULD LIKE TO SEE THIS OPTION DELAYED OR ABANDONED ALTOGETHER.
I
"BUT. THOSE WHO OPPOSE MANDATORY REPATRIATION CAN SELDOM SUGGEST ANY VIABLE ALTERNATIVE SOLUT FON. CERTAINLY NONE THAT WOULD MEET HONG KONG'S URGENT PRACTICAL NEEDS. HE ADDED.
OVER 500 BOAT PEOPLE HAD RETURNED UNDER THE VOLUNTARY REPATRIATION PROGRAMME WHICH HAD BEEN IN PLACE FOR A YEAR AND FURTHER GROUPS WERE EXPECTED TO RETURN SHORTLY.
"WE WELCOME, AND WHOLEHEARTEDLY SUPPORT, THIS PROGRAMME INDEED, WE HELPED TO ENGINEER, HE SAID.
HOWEVER, MR BARNES SAID. ALTHOUGH THE SPEEDED UP, IT COULD NOT BE EXPECTED TO CATER 39,000 NON-REFUGEES,
PROCESS HAD ON ITS OWN
WHICH,
RECENTLY FOR ALL
/"IT WOULD