XN000022-1991-10-29 — Page 11

TUESDAY, OCTOBER 29, 1991

10

SIMPLY HAD

TO

ALISTAIR ASPREY:

THERE WAS NO STICKING POINT, WE DISCUSS A NUMBER OF ISSUES RELATING TO THE DETAILS OF THE ORDERLY RETURN PROGRAMME WITH FURTHER POINTS WITH THE VIETNAMESE; DISCUSSED AND WERE RESOLVED TO EVERYBODY'S SATISFACTION.

QUESTION:

THOSE WERE

MONITOR

ΤΟ HAVE YOU APPROACHED THE UNHCR TO ASK THEM THE RETURN OF THE VIETNAMESE FROM HONG KONG, AND IF NOT WHY NOT?

ALISTAIR ASPREY : YES, AS I HAVE SAID, THE UNHCR WILL BE

QUESTION:

HERE, NOT IN VIETNAM, HERE IN HONG KONG. PHYSICAL RETURNS FROM HERE.

ASPREY:

ALISTAIR WITH THE UNHCR.

THE ACTUAL

ΤΟ THIS IS SOMETHING WHICH WE HAVE STILL

DISCUSS

QUESTION:

BUT SURELY, IF YOU HAVE GOT AN AGREEMENT YOU WOULD WANT TO HAVE THAT SORT OF SIDE OF THINGS IN PLACE ALREADY?

WITH THE

ALISTAIR ASPREY: YES, WE WILL BE DISCUSSING THAT FURTHER UNHCR, WE HAVE NOT YET DISCUSSED AND AGREED WHAT ROLE UNHCR WILL PLAY. UNDERSTOOD IN HONG KONG BUT THEY HAVE MADE IT VERY CLEAR, AND WE HAVE

IS A THIS ALL ALONG, THAT IN THE CASE OF NON-VOLUNTARY RETURNS THAT

A MATTER FOR BILATERAL ACTION, IT MATTER FOR GOVERNMENTS, IT IS

IS THEY HAVE MADE THAT NOT SOMETHING IN WHICH UNHCR WOULD BE INVOLVED. VERY CLEAR FROM THE BEGINNING, WE HAVE UNDERSTOOD AND WE ACCEPT THAT.

QUESTION:

SO IN NON-DIPLOMATIC-SPEAK, THEY HAVE SAID THEY WANT TO MONITOR THE RETURN OF THE PEOPLE ACTUALLY FROM HONG KONG?

DON'T

THE IT IS A

ALISTAIR ASPREY:

WHAT I AM SAYING IS THAT NO, NOT NECESSARILY. ARRANGEMENTS CERTAINLY WILL BE MADE BY US NOT BY THE UNHCR; DIFFERENT PROGRAMME TO THE VOLUNTARY PROGRAMME.

QUESTION:

IF YOU'VE GOT ΤΟ DEAL

I'M JUST WONDERING HOW YOU'RE GOING то PHASE THE NUMBERS WHO ARE GOING BACK, NOW ARE YOU GOING

A WITH HAVING

THOUSAND A MONTH VOLUNTEERS AND ALSO X-NUMBER OF MANDATORY

YOU IS ONE GOING TO BE COMPLIMENTARY OR ARE REPATRIATES? GOING TO REPLACE THE VOLUNTARY FLIGHTS WITH MANDATORY FLIGHTS?

WE

GOING TO BUT THERE FLIGHTS WITH

INTEND

ΤΟ SO

ALISTAIR ASPREY: THAT, CLEARLY, IS SOMETHING THAT WE ARE HAVE TO WORK OUT WITH, (A) THE VIETNAMESE, AND (B) UNHCR. IS NO QUESTION,

VOLUNTARY I THINK, OF OUR REPLACING MANDATORY FLIGHTS.

I HAVE SAID SEVERAL TIMES, ENCOURAGE VOLUNTARY REPATRIATION TO THE MAXIMUM EXTENT POSSIBLE.

WE CAN BACK BE DOING ALL WE CAN TO GET AS MANY PEOPLE AS WILL VOLUNTARILY.

WE

QUESTION:

L

AS

BOAT-

WHAT MADE YOU MOVE NOW, BECAUSE THE VIETNAMESE

IS IT THE MOOD IN PEOPLE HAVE BEEN VERY INCONVENIENT FOR A LONG TIME. EUROPE AT THE MOMENT AN ANTI-FOREIGNER MOOD WHICH YOU DECIDED ALSO TO APPLY HERE IN HONG KONG? AND SAY THE ATMOSPHERE IS VERY GOOD IN WHY DO YOU EUROPE NOW, AND TO GET RID OF THEM AS WELL AT THAT MOMENT.

OF MOVE

REFUGEES NOW? YOU HAVE FACILITATED HUNDREDS OF THOUSANDS

BUT YOU HAVE DONE FROM THIS PLACE - VERY INCONVENIENT FOR HONG KONG IT; WHY ARE YOU BEING SO TOUGH AT THIS MOMENT?

/ALISTAIR ASPREY: