XN000022-1988-09-22 — Page 8

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THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 22, 1988

"FACED WITH THIS REALITY, THE HONG KONG THE LEAD IN TRYING TO FIND A SOLUTION ΤΟ THIS PROBLEM."

SIR DAVID SAID THE KEY TO THIS SOLUTION ACCEPTANCE OF THE FACT THAT NOT ALL THE

GOVERNMENT HAS TAKEN APPARENTLY INSOLUBLE

WAS AN INTERNATIONAL NOW LEAVING VIETNAM WERE REFUGEES ACCORDING TO THE UNHCR DEFINITION, AND THAT THOSE WHO WERE NOT POLITICAL REFUGEES SHOULD GO BACK TO VIETNAM.

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"AN ESSENTIAL ELEMENT 18 ALSO AN ASSURANCE FROM THE VIETNAMESE AUTHORITIES THAT THE REFUGEES WILL NOT IN ANY WAY DE ILL-TREATED ON THEIR RETURN."

HE SAID THE SIGNIFICANCE OF THE UNDERSTANDING REACHED BETWEEN THE HONG KONG GOVERNMENT AND THE UNHCR ON TUESDAY WAS THAT IT CONFIRMED UNHCR PARTICIPATION IN OUR PROCEDURES TO DETERMINE REFUGEE STATUS.

"THIS ASSOCIATES UNHCR CLOSELY WITH OUR NEW POLICY.

"WE NOW HAVE A SOLEMN UNDERTAKING THAT THE UNHCR WILL WORK WITH THE HONG KONG GOVERNMENT TO HELP RESETTLE THOSE PEOPLE WHO ARE SCREENED IN AS REFUGEES, AND ALSO WITH ARRANGEMENTS ΤΟ RETURN TO VIETNAM THOSE WHO ARE SCREENED OUT AS ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS.

"1T IS ALSO CLEAR THAT FOR REPATRIATION TO BE A VIABLE SOLUTION, THE UNHCR MUST BE INVOLVED AND THIS AGREEMENT PAVES THE WAY FOR UNHCR TO PLAY THIS ESSENTIAL ROLE."

SIR DAVID SAID HE BELIEVED THAT THIS ENDORSEMENT BY THE UNHCR OF OUR SCREENING PROCEDURE WOULD OPEN THE WAY то FULL INTERNATIONAL

ACCEPTANCE OF OUR NEW POLICY, AS DEMONSTRATED ALREADY BY THE U.S.

GOVERNMENT'S STATEMENT.

RECOGNISED

"OUR PROCEDURES AND CRITERIA ARE

AS BEING IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE UNHCR GUIDELINES AND ESTABLISHED HUMANITARIAN INTERNATIONAL PRACTICE.

"THE UNHCR HAS ALSO NOW ACCEPTED MOST RESPONSIBILITIES FOR THE MAINTENANCE COSTS OF ALL CATEGORIES OF ASYLUM SEEKERS.

"THE FINANCIAL BURDEN ON THE HONG KONG TAXPAYERS HAS BEEN SUBSTANTIAL. IN CAPITAL AND RECURRENT COSTS ALONE, WE HAVE EXPENDED ABOUT 1.6 BILLION HONG KONG DOLLARS SINCE 1979.

"UNDER THE NEW ARRANGEMENTS, UNHCR WILL PAY ALL THE RUNNING COSTS OF THE OPEN CAMPS AND WILL LAUNCH AN INTERNATIONAL APPEAL NEXT YEAR TO ENABLE THEM TO MAKE A CONTRIBUTION TOWARDS THE CAPITAL OF THE NEW OPEN CAMP AT TURN MỤN," HE SAID.

COST

/FOR VIETNAMESE