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TUESDAY, JANUARY 16, 1990
"THE GOVERNMENT OF HONG KONG WILL LOOK CAREFULLY AT THE
POINTS SPECIFIC
IN THE AMNESTY REPORT. MANY OF THEM HAVE BEEN INVESTIGATED OF COURSE ALREADY AND FOUND TO BE WITHOUT FOUNDATION.
"BUT OBVIOUSLY IF
THERE ARE SERIOUS FURTHER POINTS IN THE
REPORT
THAT THEY WILL BE LOOKED AT. BUT I DON'T THINK THE SUGGESTION REFUGEES HAVE BEEN SENT BACK TO VIETNAM, STANDS A MOMENT'S EXAMINATION, MR HURD SAID.
MONITORING BY
ARE
THE FOREIGN SECRETARY SAID HE WOULD LIKE TO SEE THE UNHCR OF ALL THOSE WHO RETURN, BOTH VOLUNTARILY AND THOSE WHO REPATRIATED.
1T PEOPLE
MR HURD POINTED OUT THAT REPATRIATION WAS NOT AN AGREEABLE BUSINESS. "AND NO ONE WHO ACTUALLY HAS TO DO IT HERE PRETENDS THAT IS, BUT IT IS BETTER AND MORE HUMANE, IN MY VIEW, THAN KEEPING HERE INDEFINITELY WHO HAVE SHOWN NOT TO BE REFUGEES.
"IT IS ALSO VERY IMPORTANT TO SHOW PEOPLE WHO MIGHT NOW BE THAT PLANNING IN VIETNAM TO COME HERE, IN THE COMPLETELY FALSE BELIEF COMING HERE LEADS TO RESETTLEMENT IN THE WEST, IT IS IMPORTANT TO SHOW THEM THAT THAT IS NOT SO, HR SAID.
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"AND THAT THE TRAFFIC WHICH IS BUILDING UP, A TRADE ONE COULD ALMOST SAY WHICH IS BUILDING IN THIS BUSINESS, IS A FALSE ONE AND LEADS TO NOTHING EXCEPT DISAPPOINTMENT.
"MOST OF THE SMALL NUMBER OF PEOPLE WHO HAVE ARRIVED FROM VIETNAM IN RECENT MONTHS HAVE COME TO A LARGE EXTENT, OVERLAND THROUGH CHINA, ON JUST THE LAST IMMEDIATE STRETCH BY WATER.
"THIS IS NOW QUITE SUBSTANTIALLY ORGANISED AND NO DOUBT SOME PEOPLE ARE MAKING MONEY OUT OF IT. IT IS VERY IMPORTANT THAT IT SHOULD BE UNDERSTOOD IN VIETNAM BY PEOPLE WHO MIGHT BE TEMPTED TO TAKE THAT
THAT IT ROAD,
DOES NOT LEAD TO RESETTLEMENT OR TO A BETTER FORTH," HE SAID.
"IT'S A CRUEL DECEPTION TO PRETEND OTHERWISE," MR HURD SAID.
LIFE
THE FOREIGN SECRETARY ALSO POINTED OUT THAT THERE WAS NO QUESTION OF HONG KONG DOING WHAT SOME OTHER COUNTRIES DO, WHICH WAS SIMPLY TURNING BOATS AWAY WITHOUT SCREENING.
"BUT I WOULD LIKE TO FIND SOME WAY IN WHICH ONE COULD SCREEN AND RETURN PEOPLE WHO ARE NOT REFUGEES MORE QUICKLY, BECAUSE 1 THINK OTHERWISE THE DANGER OF THE CAMPS REMAINING AS PULL AS THEY ARE NOW + AND PERHAPS EVEN FULLER, WOULD BE GREAT AND WE MUST TRY TO AVOID THAT, HE SAID.
MR HURD SAID BRITAIN HOPED THAT THE INTERNATIONAL COMMUNITY, INCLUDING THE AMERICANS, WOULD ACCEPT THAT REPATRIATION AS WELL VOLUNTARY RETURN WERE NECESSARY.
AS
/"THAT THEY