XN000022-1991-10-29 — Page 10

TUESDAY, OCTOBER 29, 1991

50,000 OF RETURN ΤΟ VIETNAMESE

ALISTAIR ASPREY: WHAT I MEANT WAS THAT WE HAVE SOMETHING APPROACHING 60,000 IN THE DETENTION CENTRES NOW. I EXPECT THAT OVER THOSE PROBABLY WILL BE NON-REFUGEES WHO WILL NEED TO VIETNAM. AS I SAID, WE CANNOT REASONABLY EXPECT THAT THE ARE LIKELY TO AGREE TO RECEIVE THOSE 50,000 ALL AT ONCE. DISCUSS FURTHER WITH THEM THE PHASING AND TIMING OF THE SUCH A LARGE NUMBER OF PEOPLE.

QUESTION:

STARTING?

WE NEED ΤΟ RETURNS OF

DO YOU HAVE ANY CAMP IN MIND FROM WHICH YOU WOULD BE

ALISTAIR ASPREY:

THE NEW ARRIVALS WILL GO INITIALLY, AS ALL NEW

ARRIVALS DO, TO GREEN ISLAND.

QUESTION:

ALISTAIR ASPREY:

THE ESTABLISHED CAMPS?

NO, WE DO NOT, NOT AT THIS STAGE. I CAN TALK ABOUT THE NEW ARRIVALS; THEY WILL GO INITIALLY TO GREEN ISLAND, THEY WILL BE SCREENED AT GREEN ISLAND, WITHIN A FEW DAYS THEY WILL MOVE TO HEI LING CHAU WHICH WILL BE EMPTIED IN THE NEXT FEW DAYS; THEY WILL THEN REMAIN AT HEI LING CHAU PENDING THE CONSIDERATION OF THEIR APPEALS AND THEN THEY WOULD RETURN TO VIETNAM FROM HEI LING CHAU.

QUESTION:

I'M CONFUSED, I THINK. I THOUGHT THAT PEOPLE WHO ARRIVED FROM TODAY WOULD NOT BE SCREENED.

ALISTAIR ASPREY:

NO, NO, I WILL MAKE IT QUITE CLEAR

QUESTION:

THEY WILL BE SCREENED?

ALISTAIR ASPREY:

PEOPLE WILL ALL BE SCREENED, YES.

THEY WILL

TO THEIR

SCREENING.

QUESTION:

BE SCREENED IN THE NORMAL WAY BUT WE WILL GIVE PRIORITY

COULD YOU TELL US, WHAT HAS CHANGED BETWEEN LAST WEEK AND THIS WEEK THAT WE HAVE AN AGREEMENT NOW BUT WE DIDN'T HAVE ONE LAST WEEK?

ALISTAIR ASPREY: I'M NOT SURE THAT I QUITE FOLLOW THE QUESTION BUT

QUESTION: HAD

-

WHAT HAPPENED? WAS THERE A BREAKTHROUGH? I MEAN YOU A SORT OF MORE LIMITED AGREEMENT LAST WEEK, NOW YOU HAVE A FULL AGREEMENT. WHAT CHANGED, WHAT HAPPENED IN VIETNAM?

.

ALISTAIR ASPREY: WHAT HAPPENED WAS WE HAD FURTHER DISCUSSIONS WITH LED TO THE FULL AGREEMENT. I SAID LAST WEEK THAT WE SAW THE AGREEMENT ON THE DOUBLE-BACKERS AS PART OF WHAT WE HOPED WOULD BE AN OVERALL AGREEMENT AND I HOPED THAT THAT WOULD BE REACHED FAIRLY SOON, AND THAT IS ACTUALLY WHAT HAS HAPPENED.

QUESTION;

CAN YOU TELL US WHAT THE STICKING POINT WAS? YOU SAID YOU HAD FURTHER DISCUSSIONS.

/ALISTAIR ASPREY:

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