WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 15, 1992
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"AS AN INTERESTED THIRD PARTY WE FIND OURSELVES IN PARTICULARLY DIFFICULT POSITION: WE HAVE A GREAT DEAL AT STAKE BUT NO ROLE IN THE NEGOTIATIONS THEMSELVES.
"IN SPITE OF THIS, WE HAVE CONVEYED TO THE TWO SIDES OUR CONCERNS, OUR HOPE THAT THEY WILL BE ABLE TO REACH AN AGREEMENT, AND THE NEED TO AVOID HARM TO HONG KONG, MR CHAU SAID.
ON
SECTION 301, MR CHAU SAID, THE UNCERTAINTY IS OF A LONGER TERM NATURE BECAUSE THE INVESTIGATION AND BILATERAL TALKS BETWEEN CHINA AND THE U.S. COULD CONTINUE UNTIL OCTOBER THIS YEAR.
"WE HAVE NO MEANS OF ESTIMATING THE POSSIBLE ADVERSE EFFECTS AT THIS STAGE BUT ARE MONITORING THE SITUATION CLOSELY, HE SAID.
MR CHAU TOLD THE COUNCIL THAT THE ADMINISTRATION WAS FULLY AWARE OF BOTH THE DIFFICULTIES CAUSED BY THE UNCERTAINTY AND THE POTENTIAL FOR DAMAGE TO HONG KONG'S INTERESTS.
HE ASSURED THE COUNCIL THAT THE GOVERNMENT HAD BEEN DOING EVERYTHING IT COULD TO MINIMISE THE ADVERSE EFFECTS AND WOULD CONTINUE TO DO SO IN FUTURE.
ALL VIETNAMESE ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS WILL BE REPATRIATED
ALL VIETNAMESE ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS, INCLUDING FUGITIVE OFFENDERS FROM VIETNAM, SHOULD BE REPATRIATED TO VIETNAM AS SOON POSSIBLE, THE SECRETARY FOR SECURITY, MR ALISTAIR ASPREY, TOLD
LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL TODAY (WEDNESDAY).
AS THE
IN A WRITTEN REPLY TO A
QUESTION BY THE HON PEGGY LAM, MR ASPREY POINTED OUT THAT UNDER THE STATEMENT OF UNDERSTANDING SIGNED WITH VIETNAM ON OCTOBER 29 LAST YEAR, ALL SCREENED-OUT VIETNAMESE MIGRANTS WOULD IN DUE COURSE BE REPATRIATED UNDER THE ORDERLY RETURN PROGRAMME.
HE NOTED THAT THERE IS NO RELIABLE MEANS ΤΟ IDENTIFY VIETNAMESE MIGRANTS IN THE DETENTION CENTRES 'WHO MAY HAVE COMMITTED CRIMES IN VIETNAM.
"WE DO NOT HAVE AN EXTRADITION AGREEMENT WITH VIETNAM, NOR ÅRE WE LIKELY TO BE READY TO CONCLUDE ONE IN THE NEAR FUTURE.
"IN THESE CIRCUMSTANCES WE DO NOT SOLICIT INFORMATION FROM VIETNAM ABOUT THOSE IN OUR CAMPS WHO MAY HAVE COMMITTED CRIMES IN VIETNAM OR HAVE BEEN CONVICTED OF CRIMES THERE, THE SECRETARY SAID.
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