XN000022-1990-01-15 — Page 14

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MONDAY, JANUARY 15. 1990

AMNESTY INTERNATIONAL'S CRITICISMS UNFOUNDED: SECRETARY FOR SECURITY

THE SECRETARY FOR SECURITY. MR GEOFFREY BARNES. TODAY (MONDAY) DESCRIBED AS "UNFOUNDED" CRITICISMS MADE BY AMNESTY INTERNATIONAL OF HONG KONG'S SCREENING PROCEDURES AND TREATMENT OF VIETNAMESE BOAT PROPLE.

MR BARNES SAID THE HONG KONG GOVERNMENT WAS COMMITTED ΤΟ THE OPERATION OF FAIR STATUS DETERMINATION PROCEDURES WITH A VIEW ΤΟ IDENTIFYING ANY PERSONS WITH A GENUINE CLAIM TO REFUGEE STATUS.

BEING

HE POINTED OUT THAT THERE WAS NO QUESTION OF UNDUE FORCE USED IN THE REMOVAL OF BOAT PEOPLE FROM CHI MA WAN CENTRE TO PHOENIX HOUSE LAST OCTOBER.

ON MANDATORY REPATRIATION. HE SAID THIS WAS THE LOGICAL OUTCOME OF THE SCREENING/APPEALS PROCEDURES FOR THOSE BOAT PEOPLE DETERMINED AS NON-REFUGEES AND WHO DID NOT VOLUNTEER TO GO BACK.

IN OPERATING THE SCREENING AND APPEALS PROCEDURES. MR BARNES SAID: "THE BENEFIT OF DOUBT WAS GIVEN TO VIETNAMESE CLAIMING REFUGEE STATUS WITH THE RESULT THAT THERE ARE PROBABLY A GREAT MANY MORE SUCCESSFUL CLAIMS THAN WOULD BE WARRANTED BY A STRICT APPLICATION OF THE UNHCR CRITERIA."

MR BARNES SAID THE UNHCR HAD PLAYED A MAJOR ROLE IN THE DEVELOPMENT AND OPERATION OF THE SCREENING/APPEALS PROCEDURES AND THAT THEY HAD UNLIMITED ACCESS TO THE PRE-SCREENING DATA COLLECTION INTERVIEWS AND TO ALL SCREENING INTERVIEWS.

"UNHCR HAVE THE RIGHT TO BRING CASES OF PARTICULAR CONCERN ΤΟ MEET WITH THE ATTENTION OF THE GOVERNMENT. AND THEIR REPRESENTATIVES THE CHAIRMAN AND MEMBERS OF

INDEPENDENT REFUGEE STATUS REVIEW BOARD REGULARLY TO DISCUSS CASES OF PARTICULAR CONCERN. HE SAID.

THE

"ON THE SAME DAY THE SCREENING RESULT IS MADE KNOWN ΤΟ THE APPLICANTS OF APPEALS. A COPY OF THE COMPLETE IMMIGRATION DEPARTMENT FILE IS GIVEN TO THE LEGAL CONSULTANTS OPERATING UNDER THE AUSPICES OF THE UNHCR WHO WILL ASSIST APPELLANTS IN THE PREPARATION

THEIR

APPEALS.

OF

"A FURTHER COPY OF THE FILE IS GIVEN TO THE UNHCR TO AID THEM IN PERFORMING THEIR PROTECTION ROLE.

"IT IS OUR FIRM UNDERSTANDING WITH THE UNHCR THAT UNHCR OR ASK LAWYERS ARE PERMITTED TO SEEK CLARIFICATION ON UNCLEAR POINTS QUESTIONS DURING THE INTERVIEWS.

ΤΟ

UNHCR "AN ADDITIONAL SAFETY PRECAUTION IS THE RIGHT OF THE EXERCISE ITS MANDATE IN CASES WHERE THEY WISH TO DECLARE SOMEONE A REFUGEE.

/ON ALLEGATIONS