TUESDAY, OCTOBER 29,
1991
15
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Q: YOU SAID THAT IN THE PAST WEEK THERE HAVE BEEN NO NEW ARRIVALS. WOULD YOU ATTRIBUTE THAT ΤΟ NEWS STARTING FROM LAST'S WEEK'S ANNOUNCEMENT AND IS A PART OF YOUR STRATEGY OR YOUR HOPE THAT THIS WEEK'S ANNOUNCEMENT WILL CONTRIBUTE TO HEADING OFF VIETNAMESE FROM EVEN LEAVING FOR HONG KONG?
ALISTAIR ASPREY: IT'S ALWAYS RATHER DANGEROUS TO MAKE PREDICTIONS ABOUT ARRIVALS AS I FOUND IN THE PAST. 1 DON'T THINK THAT LAST WEEK'S ANNOUNCEMENT CAN BE THE MAIN, OR CERTAINLY NOT THE SOLE REASON FOR THE TWO DROP OFF IN ARRIVALS WHICH HAS BEEN VERY VERY MARKED FOR THE LAST WEEKS. I THINK CERTAINLY SINCE THE MIDDLE OF OCTOBER WE'VE HAD TWO BOATS WITH A TOTAL OF 30 PEOPLE ARRIVING. EQUALLY, I DO
THINK NOT THAT THE REASON FOR THE DROP OFF CAN POSSIBLY BE ATTRIBUTED JUST TO THE WINTER WEATHER, ALTHOUGH WE DO USUALLY SEE A DROP OFF AT THIS TIME THE OF YEAR, BUT CERTAINLY NOT AS SUDDEN A DROP OFF AS WE'VE SEEN IN
FEW WEEKS.
про I THINK ONE HAS TO GO BACK A LITTLE BIT PAST
TOWARDS THE END OF SEPTEMBER' WHEN THE UNHCR ANNOUNCED THAT THEY WERE CUTTING THEIR RE-INTEGRATION ASSITANCE FOR ALL NEW ARRIVALS. I THINK THAT WAS THE FACTOR WHICH REALLY STARTED THE MAJOR DROP IN NEW CERTAINLY WE'VE HAD VERY VERY FEW ARRIVALS WHO LEFT VIETNAM SINCE THAT DATE. WE'VE HAD A FEW BUT NOT VERY MANY.
PROBABLY THAT I THINK WAS THE FIRST AND THE MAJOR FACTOR. CERTAINLY I THINK THE PROSPECT OF A COMPREHENSIVE AGREEMENT SUCH AS WE'VE GOT TODAY ON MANDATORY
ON THE AGREEMENT WHICH WE ANNOUNCED LAST WEEK REPATRIATION
BACKERS WILL THEN HAVE CONTRIBUTED TO THAT AND DOUBLE
I CERTAINLY THAT TODAY'S AGREEMENT WILL FURTHER REINFORCE THAT.
AND
ARRIVALS.
HOPE
THE
THAT
Q: ARE THERE GOING TO BE MATERIAL INCENTIVES FOR PEOPLE WHO VOLUNTEER? 1 REMEMBER I THINK IN LATE '89 PEOPLE GOT US$600 AND A SUITCASE OF CLOTHES. I HEARD THE FIGURE MENTIONED THAT NOW EACH RETURNEE WILL GET US$1,000 PAID FOR BY EC. CAN YOU ELABORATE ON THIS?
FULL
ALISTAIR ASPREY: RE-INTEGRATION ASSISTANCE I THINK COMES IN TWO PARTS; RETURN. WHO FIRST OF ALL, THERE IS WHAT UNHCR WILL GIVE TO PEOPLE THAT REALLY IS A MATTER FOR THE UNHCR. THE AMOUNTS THAT THEY ARE GIVEN
THIS IS TALKING ABOUT THE NORMAL
REPATRIATES, NOW
VOLUNTARY
HONG NOT TALKING ABOUT THE DOUBLE BACKERS OR THE PEOPLE WHO ARRIVE IN KONG AFTER SEPTEMBER. THAT AMOUNT HAS BEEN FIXED ACTUALLY FOR SOME TIME AND I DON'T BELIEVE THAT THE UNHCR HAVE ANY IMMEDIATE INTENTION TO THE CERTAINLY OF CHANGING OF IT; CERTAINLY NOT OF INCREASING IT
THAT YOU'VE OBVIOUSLY HEARD FROM SOMEWHERE. I AMOUNTS
DON'T THINK
THAT IS THE CASE.
Q: HOW MUCH IS IT? 600 DOLLARS?
HONG
ALISTAIR ASPREY: IT AMOUNTS TO US$50 I THINK BEFORE DEPARTURE IN
THE EC PROGRAMMF IN KONG AND THEN US$30 A MONTH FOR TWELVE MONTHS.
IS VIETNAM IS NOT DIRECTED PRIMARILY AT INDIVIDUALS. CERTAINLY THERE
IS ANY NO AUTOMATIC HANDOUT TO INDIVIDUALS AND I DON'T THINK THERE
FIRST IT IS DIRECTED AT TWO THINGS. INTENTION THAT THERE SHOULD BE. OF ALL, AT INCREASING EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITIES IN VIETNAM PARTICULARLY AMONGST THOSE WHO HAVE RETURNED FROM ABROAD AND IN THE AREAS IN WHICH LOAN AND MOST OF THE DEPARTURES HAVE COME FROM AND IT'S PRIMARILY A LOANS FOR SMALL ANOTHER PART
STRUCTURE
BUSINESS EMPLOYMENT
SMALL OF THE PROGRAMME WILL BE SMALL PROJECTS, PROJECTS
PEOPLE IN THE AREAS FROM WHICH MOST OF THE LEFT VIETNAM. SO, THERE IS NO QUESTION I THINK UNDER THE EC PROGRAMME OF AN AUTOMATIC HANDOUT TO INDIVIDUALS.
CREATION
SCHEMES.
AND
THEN,
INFRA-
HAVE
/0: MR. ASPREY