XN000022-1988-10-14 — Page 4

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FRIDAY, OCTOBER 14, 1988

THE

IN ANSWER то QUESTIONS ABOUT THE APPORTIONMENT OF ASSISTANCE, HE SAID THE TALKS HAD NOT COVERED APPORTIONMENTS OR DETAILS. "THE UNHCR ITSELF WILL BE INVOLVED IN THIS ALMOST CERTAINLY."

"AS RECORDED IN THE JOINT STATEMENT, THE BRITISH SIDE, WHICH OF COURSE IS THE UK GOVERNMENT AND THE HONG KONG GOVERNMENT, ALSO SEES ITSELF BEING INVOLVED," MR BARNES NOTED.

MR CLIFT ADDED THAT THE UNHCR NEED TO DISCUSS THIS WITH THE VIETNAMESE. "THEY MAY HAVE SOME FUNDS ALREADY WHICH THEY CAN USE, WE DON'T KNOW HOW MUCH OR WHAT THEY CAN GIVE AND THEN OBVIOUSLY BOTH THE HONG KONG AND THE BRITISH GOVERNMENT THEN HAVE THEIR OWN QUITE SEPARATE PROCEDURES TO GO THROUGH IN EXAMINING THE QUESTION OF ASSISTANCE.

"SO WE HAVEN'T GOT TO THE STAGE OF APPORTIONMENT POLITICAL ADVISER SAID.

YET, THE

ASKED WHETHER VIETNAM HAD GIVEN ANY ASSURANCES THAT THEY WOULD STOP PEOPLE LEAVING THE COUNTRY ILLEGALLY, MR CLIFT SAID THEY HAD QUITE A CONSIDERABLE AMOUNT OF DISCUSSION ABOUT MEASURES TO DISCOURAGE DEPARTURES.

HE SAID THE VIETNAMESE GAVE A GOOD DEAL OF DETAILS AS TO WHAT THEY HAD BEEN DOING.

IN REPLY TO WHETHER HE WAS SATISFIED WITH THE ASSURANCES, MR CLIFT SAID ONE COULD NOT MAKE SNAP JUDGEMENTS, "BUT SINCE THERE HAS BEEN A CONSIDERABLE FALLING OFF, OBVIOUSLY PART OF IT ONE EXPECTS IS BECAUSE OF APPRECIATION OF OUR NEW POLICY WHICH HAS GOT THROUGH ΤΟ VIETNAM AND IS HAVING AN EFFECT.

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HE BELIEVED THAT THE MEASURES WHICH THE VIETNAMESE HAD TAKEN HAD BEEN A CONTRIBUTION TO IT AS WELL.

AS FOR ASSURANCES OR GUARANTEES ABOUT THE TREATMENT

OF VIETNAMESE BOAT PEOPLE WHEN THEY GET BACK, MR CLIFT SAID THIS WAS SOMETHING WHICH THE UNHCR WOULD BE VERY MUCH INVOLVED IN.

INDEED THE JOINT STATEMENT HAS A REFERENCE TO THE INVOLVEMENT OF THE UNHCR ON THE BASIS THAT THE ARRANGEMENTS WILL BE CARRIED OUT IN A HUMANITARIAN WAY. AND WH DID DISCUSS THE QUESTION WITH THE VIETNAMESE AND WE THOUGHT THAT THE ASSURANCES WHICH THEY GAVE WERE VERY REASSURING, HE NOTED.

"

ASSURANCES

ASKED TO ELABORATE ON THIS POINT, MR CLIFT SAID THE WERE THAT THERE WOULD NOT BE ILL-TREATMENT OF THE PEOPLE AND THAT THEY OPERATED A HUMANE POLICY.

"BUT OF COURSE AN IMPORTANT THING CLEARLY

SOMETHING

IS THE INVOLVEMENT OF THE UNHCR AFTER PEOPLE HAVE GONE BACK. AND THAT IS WHICH WE WILL BE DISCUSSING WITH THEM, MR CLIFT EMPHASISED.

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