XN000022-1976-07-30 — Page 10

FRIDAY, JULY 30, 1976

UNITED NATIONS ASSUMES RESPONSIBILITY FOR VIETNAMESE REFUGEES ABOARD AVA'

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THE HONG KONG GOVERNMENT ANNOUNCED TODAY THAT THE UNITED NATIONS HIGH COMMISSIONER FOR REFUGEES HAD AGREED TO ASSUME RESPONSIBILITY FOR THE 94 VIETNAMESE REFUGEES STILL ABOARD THE BURMESE VESSEL 'AVA’.

A U.N.H.C.R. REPRESENTATIVE IS EXPECTED TO ARRIVE IN HỌNG KONG SHORTLY TO ARRANGE TEMPORARY ACCOMMODATION FOR THE REFUGEES IN HONG KONG PENDING THEIR PERMANENT SETTLEMENT IN THE UNITED STATES, CANADA AND ELSEWHERE.

FOR THE TIME BEING THE REFUGEES WILL REMAIN ON BOARD THE 'AVA', WHICH IS ANCHORED IN THE INNER HARBOUR. CONDITIONS ON BOARD ARE GOOD AND MORALE IS HIGH.

COMMENTING ON THIS DEVELOPMENT, THE DIRECTOR OF IMMIGRATION, MR. MARTIN ROWLANDS SAID: THE SUPPORT WE HAVE RECEIVED FROM THE UNITED NATIONS AND FROM THE GOVERNMENTS OF THE USA, CANADA AND FRANCE HAS BEEN MOST GRATIFYING, AND I AM HAPPY THAT WE ARE NOW IN A POSITION TO LAND THESE REFUGEES TEMPORARILY IN HONG KONG

+ I SHOULD LIKE TO PAY TRIBUTE TO THE MASTER OF THE 'AVA', CAPTAIN KHIN MAUNG, AND HIS CREW, FOR LOOKING AFTER THESE REFUGEES SO WELL DURING THE PAST TRYING WEEKS.+

APPRENTICESHIP CONTRACT FORMS

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THE FORM OF CONTRACT OF APPRENTICESHIP. THE CERTIFICATE OF COMPLETION OF APPRENTICESHIP AND TEN OTHER FORMS WERE SPECIFIED BY THE COMMISSIONER FOR LABOUR IN TODAY'S GAZETTE FOR THE PURPOSE OF THE APPRENTICESHIP ORDINANCE 1976 AND ITS SUBSIDIARY REGULATIONS WHICH CAME INTO EFFECT ON JULY 19 THIS YEAR.

ALSO SPECIFIED BY THE COMMISSIONER WERE THE PERIOD OF APPRENTICESHIP FOR EACH OF THE 23 DESIGNATED TRADES AND THE SPECIAL CIRCUMSTANCES BY WHICH THE PERIOD OF APPRENTICESHIP COULD BE REDUCED.

THE COMMISSIONER FOR LABOUR, MR. IAN PRICE, SAID THAT THESE SPECIFICATIONS WERE NECESSARY FOR THE PROPER ADMINISTRATION OF THE ORDINANCE.

ALL SPECIFIED FORMS ARE OBTAINABLE FROM THE APPRENTICESHIP DIVISION OF THE LABOUR DEPARTMENT, NEW RODNEY BLOCK, 99 QUEENSWAY, HONG KONG,

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