XN000022-1991-06-05 — Page 6

WEDNESDAY, JUNE 5, 1991

"SOONER, RATHER THAN LATER, THESE PEOPLE MUST SET RUMOURS AND LIES AND FACE THE REALITY THAT THEIR FUTURE AND THEIR CHILDREN, LIES BACK IN VIETNAM,

L

HE SAID.

ABIDE MIL

THAT OF

HAD A

MR STRACHAN SAID THE VOLUNTARY AGENCIES IN THE CAMPS SPECIAL ROLE TO PLAY IN THIS REGARD, IN CONJUNCTION WITH THE UNHCR AND COUNSELLING CAMP MANAGEMENTS, NOTING THAT THE CSD STAFF THAT HAD BEEN AT GREEN ISLAND HAD DEMONSTRATED CLEARLY THAT "WHERE THERE IS A WILL, THERE IS A WAY"

OF

ON THE HON KINGSLEY SIT'S AND THE HON MARTIN BARROW'S QUESTIONS WHETHER THE BRITISH EMBASSY IN HANOI WAS ADEQUATELY

STAFFED,

BY STRACHAN

THEM THAT HONG KONG HAD BEEN WELL SERVRD REASSURED EMBASSY THERE AND THE THOROUGH UNDERSTANDING WAS FURTHER ACHIEVED REGULAR VISITS BY HONG KONG GOVERNMENT OFFICIALS TO VIETNAM.

MR

THE BY

MR STRACHAN POINTED OUT THAT THE CENTRAL ISSUE OF RETURNING THE THE CPA SCREENED OUT WAS TIED TO A WIDER PROBLEM WHICH WENT BEYOND

PEOPLE ITSELF: THAT OF THE ECONOMIC CONDITIONS IN VIETNAM WHICH THESE WERE NOW FLEEING.

IT WAS THE VIEW OF THE HONG KONG GOVERNMENT THAT THE KEY WAS THAT THE ECONOMY OF VIETNAM SHOULD IMPROVE, THIS WAS ONLY TO HAPPEN THROUGH GREATER CONTACT WITH THE OUTSIDE WORLD.

POINT

LIKELY

ON HONG KONG'S PART, MR STRACHAN POINTED OUT THAT THE TERRITORY

BY

EXPANDING WAS DOING WHAT IT COULD TO ENSURE THAT THIS HAPPENED,

FOR HONG TRADE AND AIR LINKS AND ENCOURAGING EASTER ACCESS TO VISAS KONG'S ENTREPENEURS AND TOURISTS TO VISIT VIETNAM.

BEEN IN

VERY

MR STRACHAN ALSO SAID A HONG KONG/UK DELEGATION HAD WASHINGTON IN THE PAST FEW DAYS SEARCHING FOR A SOLUTION TO THIS POINT.

DELEGATION, NOTED DURING MR ANDREW BURNS, THE LEADER OF OUR THESE DISCUSSIONS THAT THE VIETNAMESE PROBLEM IN HONG KONG WAS "TOP OF HMG'S AGENDA".

++

CRITICAL OF HER

HE SAID.

"1 TRUST THAT THOSE MEMBERS ALSO HAVE BEEN MAJESTY'S GOVERNMENT, WILL CAREFULLY NOTE THIS STATEMENT,

MR STRACHAN SAID THE CONSULTATIONS WHICH HAVE JUST CONCLUDED IN CPA STEERING WASHINGTON WERE ENVISAGED BY THE Recent MEETING OF THE COMMITTEE TO EXPLORE MEASURES THAT COULD ENCOURAGE GREATLY ACCELERATED RATES OF RETURN OF VIETNAM OF THOSE DETERMINED NOT TO BE REFUGEES.

HE SAID THE UNITED STATES, THE UNITED KINGDOM AND HONG KONG HAD AGREED THAT THEY REMAIN COMMITTED TO THE CPA, ESPECIALLY FIRST ASYLUM AND FAIR PROCEDURES TO DETERMINE WHO WAS AND WHO WAS NOT A REFUGEE.

OF

URGENCY

TO SEEK

STATES BILATERAL

THE BRITISH AND HONG KONG SIDES HAD INFORMED THE UNITED

A AS INTENDED THAT THEY DISCUSSIONS WITH VIETNAM.

MATTER

CONSIDER THE COULD

AN FOR AND WHO

OF ESTABLISHMENT "THESE DISCUSSIONS INTERNATIONALITY MANAGED CENTRE ON TERRITORY PROVIDED BY VIETNAM THOSE ASYLUM SEEKERS WHO ARE DETERMINED NOT TO BE REFUGEES HAVE NOT TAKEN ADVANTAGE OF THE EXISTING VOLUNTARY RETURN PROGRAMMES.

/"THESE DISCUSSIONS