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LORD CAITHNESS: YES, THAT IS ANOTHER EXAMPLE OF WHERE BRITAIN HAS BEEN VERY MUCH TO THE FOREFRONT ON THE INTERNATIONAL SCENE TO TRY AND PROGRESS ISSUES ON BEHALF OF HONG KONG. THIS IS ONE EXAMPLE WHERE THERE ARE INDICATIONS THAT WE CAN MAKE PROGRESS IN TRYING TO EXPEDITE THE RETURN TO VIETNAM OF NON-REFUGEES. NOW, EXACTLY WHAT HAPPENS IN HANOI IN THE NEXT THREE OR SO DAYS I AM NOT GOING TO PREDICT. WHAT I
THAT WE WILL GET A BETTER MODUS OPERENDI, A
WAY HOPE IS
BETTER
OF OPERATING TO RETURN THE NON-REFUGEES TO VIETNAM THAN WE HAVE AT THE MOMENT.
WILL?
PAUL, HARRINGTON: DOES THIS MEAN RETURNING THEM
AGAINST THEIR
LORD CAITHNESS: I AM NOT GOING TO SAY ANYTHING MORE BECAUSE THEY ARE IN DISCUSSIONS IN HONG KONG, SORRY IN HANOI AND OBVIOUSLY WE WANT THAT TO SUCCEED.
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BERNARD FONG: LACK OF ABHORRENCE WITH CHINA'S RANDOM USE WITH THE DEATH PENALTY MAY BE REFLECTED IN MARGARET THATCHER'S STATEMENT MADE THIS MORNING, I BELIEVE, IN BUDAPEST. SHE ADVOCATED THE RETURN OF CAPITAL PUNISHMENT TO BRITISH LAW, THIS VERY MORNING.
LORD CAITHNESS: THAT HAS BEEN VOTED ON IN THE HOUSE OF COMMONS ON A NUMBER OF ISSUES. I THINK THE VIEWS ARE WELL SET OUT BY MEMBERS IN THE COMMONS.
KEVIN LAU: ON THE VIETNAMESE BOAT PEOPLE'S SCREENING TEST HOW DO YOU COME TO THE CONCLUSION THAT THE TEST IS FAIR, AFTER HAVING PAID A BRIEF VISIT TO A DETENTION CENTRE AND HAVING SEEN JUST A FEW TESTING EXAMPLES?
LORD CAITHNESS: BECAUSE THE IMPORTANT THING IS THAT A LOT
OF, IN FACT ALL OF THE WORK WITH THE REFUGEES AND NON-REFUGEES AND PARTICULARLY THE SCREENING PROCESS IS DONE IN CONJUNCTION, IN LINE WITH INTERNATIONAL STANDARDS, AND WITH THE HELP OF THE UNHCR. NOW ANYBODY FROM THE UNHCR CAN GO INTO ANY OF THE SCREENING PROCESSES ΤΟ SIT IN, TO LISTEN TO WHAT IS GOING ON WITHOUT NOTICE. SO THAT THEY CAN GO IN
AT ANY TIME AND ON TOP OF THAT ONE THEN HAS AN APPEAL SYSTEM. I THINK THAT THAT IS A FAIR SYSTEM.
KEVIN LAU: ARE YOU AWARE OF THE CRITICISMS OF THE TESTS, OR ARE YOU TOTALLY SATISFIED WITH THE PRESENT ARRANGEMENT?
LORD CAITHNESS: I AM AWARE OF THE CRITICISMS, I AM AWARE OF THE PLUS POINTS THAT HAVE BEEN PUT TO ME TOO. I DO THINK IT IS A FAIR SYSTEM AND I DO THINK IT IS ABSOLUTELY RIGHT THAT THE UNITED NATIONS REPRESENTATIVE FOR REFUGEES, HIGH COMMISSIONER'S REPRESENTATIVE FOR REFUGEES, IS INVOLVED AND IS ABLE TO GO IN AT ANY TIME ΤΟ ANY INTERVIEW IN THE SCREENING PROCESS.
/KEVIN LAU: