XN000022-1988-06-30 — Page 2

THURSDAY, JUNE 30, 1988

SCREENING OF BOAT PEOPLE WIDELY ACCEPTED INTERNATIONALLY

ARRIVALS HAS

HONG KONG'S NEW SCREENING SYSTEM FOR VIETNAMESE WON WIDE INTERNATIONAL ACCEPTANCE AND UNDERSTANDING, AS IT HAS DONK LOCALLY, THE MINISTER OF STATE AT THE FOREIGN AND COMMONWEALTH WITH RESPONSIBILITY FOR HONG KONG, LORD GLENARTHUR, SAID TODAY

(THURSDAY).

OFFICE

SPEAKING TO REPORTERS AFTER VISITING THE SHAM SHUI PO CLOSED CENTRE, LORD GLENARTHUR SAID HE HOPED THE NEW POLICY WOULD ALSO LEAD TO AN UNDERSTANDING AMONG THE VIETNAMESE AUTHORITIES THAT IT DID NO GOOD TO ALLOW PEOPLE TO LEAVE THIS WAY, AS THOSE SCREENED OUT WOULD ULTIMATELY FACE REPATRIATION.

HE SAID INTERNATIONAL EFFORTS SHOULD NOW BE DIRECTED TO VIETNAM UNDERSTAND ITS FOLLY.

MAKING

"IT IS A MOST APPALLING INDICTMENT OF A SYSTEM TO LOOK AT ГРЕ PEOPLE AND THE CONDITIONS THEY INEVITABLY FIND THEMSELVES IN HERE, AND THEN TO TALK TO THEM AND TO REALISB THAT UNDER VERY, VERY FEW CIRCUMSTANCES WILL THEY REALLY AGREE TO GO HOME,' HE SAID.

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"UNTIL THAT'S CHANGED, I FEAR THAT THINGS WILL NOT IMPROVE AS RAPIDLY AS WE ALL LIKE TO SEE THEM IMPROVE.

H

LORD GLENARTHUR SAID THE FOREIGN SECRETARY, SIR GEOFFREY HOWE, HAD RAISED THE MATTER WITH THE VIETNAMESE FOREIGN MINISTER AND THE SOVIET FOREIGN MINISTER RECENTLY.

BRITAIN HAD ALSO SENT ITS AMBASSADOR то HANOI ΤΟ VIETNAMESE FOREIGN MINISTRY TO EXPRESS SERIOUS MISGIVINGS ABOUT LED TO THIS SITUATION, AND ALSO TO EXPLAIN HONG KONG'S NEW POLICY.

THE WHAT

HE SAID: "THE POINT IS THAT WE'VE GOT TO SEF THE CHANGE IN VIETNAM WHICH IS GOING TO MEAN THAT THESE PATHETIC CASES DON'T ARISE, THAT THE ECONOMY OF VIETNAM IS SORTED OUT IN SUCH A WAY, THAT THEY SEE THEIR FUTURE IN THEIR HOME.

"THIS IS BECAUSE IF THEY COME HERE AND THEY AREN'T TRUE REFUGEES, THEN THEIR FUTURE HERE IS GOING ΤΟ BE A VERY LONG AND INEVITABLY A MUCH SADDER ONE THAN IT WOULD HAVE BEEN IF THEY WERE то HAVE THE RIGHT CONDITIONS AT HOME.

"THOSE CONDITIONS DON'T EXIST AT THE MOMENT. THAT'S PRECISELY WHY THE SORT OF CONVERSATIONS AND PRESSURES HAVE BEEN APPLIED AND WEES WE ARE SEEKING TO BRING THE WHOLE INTERNATIONAL COMMUNITY TO WORK ON THIS PARTICULAR PROBLEM."

LORD GLENARTHUR SAID THAT OVER THE YEARS, SOME 20,000 REFUGEES FROM SOUTHEAST ASIA.

BRITAIN HAD TAKEN

/"WE'RE ABOUT