XN000022-1987-09-22 — Page 2

TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 22, 1987

VR REPATRIATION TO BE PURSUED AGAIN

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THE BRITISH AMBASSADOR TO HANOI, MR EMRYS DAVIES, SAID TODAY (TUESDAY) THAT HE WOULD TRY TO PERSUADE THE VIETNAMESE GOVERNMENT TO THINK SERIOUSLY OF ACCEPTING BACK CERTAIN CATEGORIES OF PEOPLE WHEN HE WENT BACK TO HANOI.

SPEAKING TO REPORTERS

AT THE AIRPORT BEFORE DEPARTURE, MR DAVIES SAID HE WOULD ALSO SPEAK TO SENIOR VIETNAMESE PEOPLE AND MEMBERS OF THE GOVERNMENT AND TRY TO PERSUADE THEM ΤΟ DO SOMETHING ABOUT CONTROLLING THE EXODUS OF THEIR PEOPLE.

WOULD

IN REPLY TO A QUESTION WHETHER THE VIETNAMESE GOVERNMENT DO SOMETHING ABOUT THE VIETNAMESE REFUGEE PROBLEM, MR DAVIES SAID THEIR RESPONSE HAD BEEN QUITE NEGATIVE.

HOWEVER, HE ADDED THAT THAT SHOULD NOT STOP HIM FROM GOING BACK AND PUTTING THE CASE AGAIN.

"NOW I CAN GO BACK AND SAY I'VE ACTUALLY SEEN THE PROBLEM AND IT REALLY IS A VERY DIFFICULT PROBLEM IN HONG KONG AND PEOPLE ARE GETTING REALLY VERY VERY CONCERNED ABOUT IT.

"I THINK THAT WILL ADD WEIGHT TO WHAT I SAID AND I SHOULD CERTAINLY GO AND SAY IT AGAIN," MR DAVIES STRESSED.

THE AMBASSADOR SAID THE VIETNAMESE GOVERNMENT HAD MADE IT CLEAR SO FAR THAT THEY WERE NOT PREPARED TO TAKE BACK LARGE GROUPS OF PEOPLE, BUT THEY WOULD CONSIDER REPATRIATION ON A CASE-BY-CASE BASIS, WHICH WOULD MEAN THAT IT WOULD BE A VERY SLOW PROCESS.

HE ADDED THAT UNLESS AND UNTIL THE VIETNAMESE GOVERNMENT SHOWED ANY SORT OF WILLINGNESS TO TALK ABOUT MORE THAN CASE-BY-CASE REPATRIATION, THERE WOULD NOT BE ANY MAJOR IMPROVEMENT TO THE SITUATION.

MR DAVIES SAID THERE WAS NO QUESTION THAT THE BRITISH GOVERNMENT WAS AWARE OF THE PROBLEM, ADDING THAT THE VIETNAMESE REFUGEE PROBLEM FIGURED VERY HIGH ON THE AGENDA OF ITEMS WHICH HE WAS BRIEFED ON BEFORE HE WENT TO HANOI.

HE ALSO SAID THE BRITISH GOVERNMENT WAS TRYING TO DO SOMETHING ABOUT THE PROBLEM NOT ONLY THROUGH HIM IN HANOI, BUT ALSO IN LONDON, BY TALKING TO THE VIETNAMESE AMBASSADOR THERE.

MR DAVIES SAID HE WOULD BE LEAVING HONG KONG WITH A VERY STRONG IMPRESSION OF THE ENORMOUS LOCAL INTEREST IN THE VIETNAMESE REFUGEE PROBLEM.

THERE WAS A GREAT DESIRE IN HONG KONG TO SOLVE THE PROBLEM IN A WAY WHICH MADE SENSE IN PRACTICAL TERMS, HE SAID.

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