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TUESDAY, OCTOBER 29, 1991
QUESTION:
HAVE THE AMERICANS BEEN PARTY TO THIS AGREEMENT, AND IF SO WHAT IS THEIR STANCE ON IT? AND IF NOT, WHAT DO YOU BELIEVE THEIR STANCE ON IT WILL BE?
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ALISTAIR ASPREY:
THE AMERICANS HAVE NOT BEEN PARTY то THIS AGREEMENT. THE AMERICANS HAVE BEEN BRIEFED ON THE AGREEMENT; THEIR REACTION, I THINK YOU WILL HAVE TO ASK THEM AND WAIT FOR THEM TO GIVE IT TO YOU.
QUESTION:
SO JUST TO FOLLOW UP, WOULD YOU CARRY ON WITH REPATRIATION SCHEME EVEN IF THE AMERICANS ARE AGAINST IT?
ALISTAIR ASPREY:
THIS IS A BILATERAL AGREEMENT; IT IS TERMS OF THE OPA; WE INTEND TO IMPLEMENT IT.
QUESTION:
THIS
WITHIN THE
IF WE HAVEN'T HAD ANY NEW ARRIVALS RECENTLY, WHY ARE WE STARTING OFF WITH THEM?
THE
OVER
EVER WITH
ALISTAIR ASPREY:
WE HAVE ALWAYS FELT THAT ONE OF THE FIRST OBJECTIVES IN TRYING TO DEAL WITH THIS PROBLEM SHOULD BE TO MAKE PROBLEM FINITE. REALLY, ONE OF THE WORST ASPECTS OF THE PROBLEM THE PAST THREE YEARS HAS BEEN THE FACT THAT IT HAS BEEN AN INCREASING PROBLEM. IT HAS BEEN EXTREMELY DIFFICULT TO DEAL BECAUSE OF ᎢᎻᎪᎢ . ONCE WE CAN MAKE THE PROBLEM FINITE THAT WE CAN RETURN ALL NEW ARRIVALS AND THEREFORE MAKE FINITE THE CAMP POPULATION, THEN WE CAN DEAL WITH IT. WE FEEL THAT THIS IS THE BEST WAY TO DEAL WITH IT, TO RETURN THE NEW ARRIVALS FIRST AND THEN, AND I HOPE SHORTLY, TO MOVE ON TO THE RETURN OF THOSE WITHIN THE EXISTING CAMP POPULATION.
QUESTION:
I WOULD LIKE TO FOLLOW UP ON THAT. YOU SAY, SHORTLY, BUT HOW SOON DO YOU THINK YOU ARE GOING TO MOVE ON TO RETURN ALL THE 21,000 WHO ARE ALREADY SCREENED-OUT?
ALISTAIR ASPREY: AS I SAID, IT IS OUR INTENTION TO ENCOURAGE AS MUCH AS POSSIBLE VOLUNTARY REPATRIATION AND WE WILL BE WORKING TO THAT END. I WOULD NOT LIKE TO GIVE A DEFINITE DATE, EITHER FOR STARTING TO RETURN THE EXISTING CAMP POPULATION OR FOR WHEN WE WILL COMPLETE IT. THOUGH CLEARLY IT WILL TAKE SOME CONSIDERABLE TIME GIVEN THE NUMBERS INVOLVED AND GIVEN THE UNDOUBTED WISH OF THE VIETNAMESE TO PHASE THE RETURN OF ALL THESE PEOPLE. THAT IS SOMETHING WHICH WE HAVE то DISCUSS FURTHER WITH THE VIETNAMESE.
QUESTION:
HAVE YOU LEASED MILITARY-STYLE AIRCRAFT TO GET THE RETURNEES BACK TO VIETNAM? IF YOU HAVEN'T, DO YOU INTEND TO?
ALISTAIR ASPREY: NO, WE HAVE NOT AT THIS STAGE LEASED ANY AIRCRAFT. WE HAVE HAD DISCUSSIONS WITH A NUMBER OF AIRLINES BUT WE HAVE NOT CONCLUDED ANY AGREEMENT OR ARRANGEMENTS YET.
/QUESTION: