TUESDAY, JULY 17, 1990
HK AND AMNESTY INTERNATIONAL: NO DIFFERENCE IN AIMS
*
IN THE FUNDAMENTAL AIMS OF THE BRITISH AND THE HONG KONG THE FOREIGN AND COMMONWEALTH
THERE IS NO DIFFERENCE WHATEVER AMNESTY INTERNATIONAL AND THOSE OF GOVERNMENTS, THE MINISTER OF STATE AT OFFICE, MR FRANCIS MAUDE, SAID IN HIS REPLY TO AMNESTY INTERNATIONAL.
OF
BOTH
JOINT VIEWS THE
THE THE REPLY, WHICH REPRESENTED
WAS IN RESPONSE TO AMNESTY BRITISH AND THE HONG KONG GOVERNMENTS,
TO 22 SENT
MR MAUDE CONCERNING INTERNATIONAL'S LETTER DATED JUNE AMNESTY'S MEMORANDUM ISSUED IN JANUARY.
THE PRINCIPLE OF THAT NO VIETNAMESE
"WE HAVE A COMMON INTEREST IN ENSURING THAT FIRST ASYLUM IS PRESERVED, AND MOST IMPORTANTLY, ARE RETURNED TO THEIR COUNTRY IF THERE IS ANY CHANCE THAT THEY WOULD 1967 IN ANY WAY BE PERSECUTED IN THE TERMS OF THE 1951 CONVENTION AND
MAUDE SAID IN THE PROTOCOL RELATING TO THE STATUS OF REFUGEES," MR REPLY LETTER DATED JULY 13.
WE MUST "BUT I HOPE THAT YOU WILL AGREE THAT AT THE SAME TIME
OPEN FOR THOSE WHO ENSURE THAT THE CHANNEL OF RESETTLEMENT REMAINS
NOT ABUSED ΤΟ THE EXTENT MIGHT BE SUBJECTED TO PERSECUTION AND IS
REFUGEE BTATUS 13 THAT THE FUTURE OF THOSE WITH A LEGITIMATE CLAIM TO PUT AT RISK.
I
THE BND.
HONG HAD DEVISED
MR MAUDE NOTED THAT TO THIS
UNHCR, WITH WORKING IN CO-OPERATION OPERABLE SYSTEM OF SCREENING.
KONG
GOVERNMENT,
A PRACTICAL
"CONTRARY TO THE ASSERTION IN THE MEMORANDUM, NEITHER UNHCR, ACCEPT THAT THE PROCESS IS 'CRITICALLY FLAWED'
HE SAID THAT HE DID NOT ACCEPT THAT ANY SERIOUS IN THE SCREENING SYSTEM.
AND
WB, NOR
MR MAUDE SAID.
RISKS EXISTED
THE
"INDEED I BELIEVE THAT TO IMPLEMENT THE RECOMMENDATIONS IN
TO WOULD INEVITABLY
THE PROCESS CAUSE AMNESTY MEMORANDUM IN FULL
KONG IN BECOME MUCH SLOWER, AND THUS MEAN FAMILIES LINGERING IN HONG UNCERTAINTY FOR FURTHER MONTHS, IF NOT YEARS, TO NO PURPOSE.
MR MAUDE ALSO SAID THE
INTRODUCE WORKED CLOSELY TO
AND WHERE APPROPRIATE,
UNHCR AND THE HONG IMPROVEMENTS TO THE SOMB RROENT EXAMPLES RECOMMENDATIONS IN THE AMNESTY MEMORANDUM.
+
ACCORDED
KONG GOVERNMENT SYSTEM SCREENING
WITH
AUTHORITIES HAD
GIVEN NEGATIVE. THE
ONE RECENT IMPROVEMENT WAS THAT THE HONG KONG AGREED WITH UNHCR THAT IN FUTURE A WRITTEN EXPLANATION WOULD BE FOR DECISIONS OF THE REVIEW BOARD, WHETHER POSITIVE OR FIRST OF THESE HAD NOW BEEN ISSUED.
ANOTHER IMPROVEMENT ...