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TUESDAY, DECEMBER 12, 1989
"IN THE FIRST INSTANCE, THIS WILL
THE
BE DONE BY STAFF OF BRITISH EMBASSY IN HANOT BUT WE HOPE THAT THE UNHCR WILL BE PREPARED TO TAKE ON THIS TASK. POSSIBLY WORKING WITH OTHER NON-GOVERNMENT 'ORGANISATIONS," HE SAID.
"WE HOPE THAT THE UNHOR WILL ACCEPT THIS ROLE AS A PART OF İCONTRIBUTION TO THE FULL IMPL.'MENTATION OF THE CPA.
ITS
TITE SPOKESMAN SAID THAT THERE WOULD BE REINTEGRATION 'ASSISTANCE FOR THOST RETURNING AS WAS ALREADY THE CASE WITH 'THOSE VIETNAMESE BOAT PEOPLE WHO RETURN UNDER THE UNHCR'S VOLUNTARY REPATRIATION PROGRAMME.
"REINTEGRATION ASSISTANCE IS DESIGNED TO HELP THOSE RETURNING TO RE-ESTABLISH THEMSELVES IN VIETNAM. IT IS ESSENTIALLY HUMANITARIAN IN NATURE AND WILL BENEFIT THE INDIVIDUALS AND FAMILIES CONCERNED," HE EXPLAINED.
OF
THE SPOKESMAN POINTED OUT THAT SINCE 1975, WHEN THE OUTFLOW BOAT PEOPLE BEGAN, 170,000 PEOPLE HAD REACHED HONG KONG FROM VIETNAM. NONE HAD BEEN TURNED AWAY. 34,000 HAD ARRIVED IN 1989 ALONE. ALL HAD BEEN FED, CLOTHED, GIVEN MEDICAL ATTENTION AND HOUSED. THIS HAD
IMPOSED A GREAT STRAIN ON BONG KONG.
THE
HONG KONG IS PROUD OF ITS RECORD. WE WANT TO PRESERVE PRINCIPLE OF FIRST ASYLUM, BUT WE CAN ONLY DO SO IF THOSE FOUND NOT TO BE REFUGEES ARE RETURNED QUICKLY AND SAFELY TO THEIR HOMELAND, HE SAID.
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"HONG KONG'S POSITION IS DIFFERENT FROM THAT OF OTHER PLACES OF FIRST ASYLUM IN THE REGION, AS WE EXPLAINED то COUNTRIES PARTICIPATING IN THE GENEVA CONFERENCE IN JUNE. UNLIKE OTHER PLACES OF FIRST ASYLUM. SCREENING IN HONG KONG STARTED ALMOST A YEAR AND HALF AGO," HE SAID.
"THE CPA AGREED IN JUNE THIS YEAR COVERS A PACKAGE OF MEASURES TO DEAL WITH THE BOAT PEOPLE PROBLEM. IT CONSISTS OF FOUR ELEMENTS: FIRST ASYLUM, SCREENING, RESETTLEMENT OF REFUGEES AND REPATRIATION OF NON-REFUGEES.
"THE GOVERNMENT IS IMPLEMENTING THIS INTERNATIONAL AGREEMENT · IN FULL. THE RETURN OF NON-REFUGEES ΤΟ VIETNAM IS CONSISTENT WITH THE TERMS OF THE CPA AND IS TN LINE WITH STANDARD INTERNATIONAL ARRANGEMENTS.
IN OUR VIEW IT IS MORE HUMANE TO GO AHEAD WITH REPATRIATION OP THOSE WHO HAVE BEEN THROUGH THE WHOLE PROCESS OF SCREENING AND APPEAL THAN TO LEAVE THEM WAITING ENDLESSLY IN CAMPS.
"THE HARSH REALITY IS THAT THE COUNTRIES TO WHICH THEY WISH ΤΟ GO DO NOT CONSIDER THEM REFUGEES AND ARE NOT WILLING TO RESETTLE THEM. TO KEEP THEM IN HONG KONG ONLY FERDS A FALSE HOPE THAT SOMEHOW, SOMETIME THESE COUNTRIES MAY CHANGE THEIR MINDS. WE THINK THEY HAVE WAITED LONG ENOUGH.
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THE SPOKESMAN STRESSED THAT HONG KONG WOULD CONTINUE TO GIVE FULL SUPPORT TO THE VOLUNTARY REPATRIATION PROGRAMME.
"So FAR THERE HAVE BEEN DISAPPOINTINGLY FEW VOLUNTEERS, MORE VOLUNTEERS WILL NOW COME FORWARD. "SHOULD PROCEED IN PARALLEL.
HE SAID, "BUT WE HOPE THAT BOTH REPATRIATION PROGRAMMES
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