XN000022-1988-07-01 — Page 37

8

FRIDAY, JULY 1, 1988

ARE

I

ANY CHANGES IN UNDERSTAND THE

NOW, WHETHER OR NOT THERE

THAT IN DUE FORCE COURSE IS A MATTER OF CONJECTURE.

OF THE ARGUMENT BUT I HAVE TO SAY THAT THERE ARE VERY SERIOUS, VERY DANGEROUS CONSEQUENCES THAT COULD BE... FROM DOING IT.

THAT

LEO DOBBS: WHEN SIR GEOFFREY HOWE WAS HERE, HE WAS SAYING ALL THE PROBLEMS OF VIETNAM STEMMED FROM THEIR POLITICAL SYSTEM. So, THAT TO ME WOULD SEEM THAT THE REFUGEES HERE WERE POLITICAL REFUGEES.

LORD GLENARTHUR: WELL, THAT MAY BE YOUR VIEW, BUT THE PURPOSE OF CHANGING THE SYSTEM IN THE WAY THAT WE'VE DESCRIBED IT IS TO SCREEN OUT THOSE WHO ARE GENUINE REFUGEES WHO MEET THE CRITERIA THAT IS LAID DOWN, AND THOSE WHO DON'T MEET IT WILL REMAIN HERE UNTIL ONE DAY THEY GO BACK TO VIETNAM.

JULIE MAPLESTON (COMMERCIAL RADIO): DO YOU THINK THAT THE SCREENING POLICY MIGHT BE IMPOSING UNDUE BURDENS ON HONG KONG AS WELL AS THE BOAT PEOPLE WHO COME HERE, GIVEN THAT THEY MAY NEVER BE REPATRIATED TO VIETNAM, AND THEREFORE THEY ARE GOING TO BE STAYING IN DETENTION CAMPS HERE POSSIBLY FOR EVER, BECAUSE VIETNAM AT THIS STAGE ISN'T PREPARED TO REPATRIATE THEM. WHO IS TO SAY THAT THEY EVER

WILL. GIVEN THAT THE SCREENING POLICY MIGHT NOT BE SUCH A BIG DETERRENT, BECAUSE PEOPLE WHO FIRST ARRIVED HERE AFTER THE SCREENING POLICY WAS IMPLEMENTED WERE COMING OUT WITH STATEMENT "WELL, WE'D RATHER BE HERE IN HONG KONG IN A DETENTION CENTRE THAN BACK IN VIETNAM." YOU KNOW THEY ARE REALLY PREPARED TO COME OUT HERE NO MATTER WHAT?

LORD GLENARTHUR: ABSOLUTELY. WHEN I TALKED TO A LOT OF THEM YESTERDAY, AND THAT WAS MADE PLAIN TO ME ON A DOZEN OF DIFFERENT OCCASIONS. IT'S A PRETTY HORRIFIC INDICTMENT OF A SYSTEM, ISN'T IT. THAT THEY'D RATHER LIVE FOR AS LONG AS IT TAKES IN 'THOSE CONDITIONS, AS BEST LOOKED AFTER AS THEY POSSIBLY CAN BE, RATHER THAN GO BACK ΤΟ VIETNAM. IT IS THE MOST APPALLING INDICTMENT OF A SYSTEM THAT ANYONE'S EVER HEARD OF.

AND TO SAY THAT IT IS DIFFICULT TO ACHIEVE THE SCREENING, WELL, THE HONG KONG EXPERTS WHO HAVE BEEN DOING THIS NOW, LOOKING AT IT AND TALKING TO THESE PEOPLE FOR MANY YEARS, HAVE BUILT UP A GREAT DEAL OF EXPERIENCE. I'M SURE THAT THEY WILL MANAGE IT, I AM SURE THAT IT WILL BE DONE EFFICIENTLY, AND I ONLY HOPE THAT THE ENTIRE INTERNATIONAL COMMUNITY NOTE THE ENORMOUS CONCERNS THAT EVERYBODY HAS ABOUT THE SITUATION IN VIETNAM AND APPLIES WHATEVER PRESSURE THEY CAN ON THE AUTHORITIES WHO ULTIMATELY MUST BE RESPONSIBLE FOR THE CONDITIONS THEIR OWN COUNTRY, TO TRY AND ACHIEVE THE SORT OF CONDITIONS WILL ALLOW PEOPLE TO GO BACK.

IN

THAT

/MITYANEW (REUTERS):