XN000022-1991-10-29 — Page 12

11

TUESDAY, OCTOBER 29, 1991

—

WE

OBTAIN

DO OF

ALISTAIR ASPREY: I THINK I HAVE TO MAKE IT CLEAR THAT THERE IS NO GET WE HAVE BEEN TRYING TO REAL QUESTION OF US DECIDING TO MOVE NOW. THESE ARRANGEMENTS IN PLACE SINCE WE INTRODUCED SCREENING IN 1988. HAVE TRIED CONTINUOUSLY OVER ALMOST THREE-AND-A-HALF YEARS TO

ARRANGEMENTS, EITHER MULTI-LATERALLY SORTS OF AGREEMENT ON THESE THROUGH THE CPA, OR BI-LATERALLY BETWEEN OURSELVES AND THE VIETNAMESE, THE TIME IS NOT AND THAT IS WHAT WE HAVE NOW SUCCEEDED IN DOING. REALLY OF OUR MAKING, IT IS SOMETHING THAT WE HAVE BEEN TRYING TO TO TENS ALL ALONG.

- YOU DO REFER I THINK I SHOULD ALSO SAY

KONG; YES, THOUSANDS OF REFUGEES HAVING BEEN RE-SETTLED FROM HONG THAT IS TRUE AND THOSE WHO ARE REFUGEES WILL STILL BE ELIGIBLE FOR RE- SETTLEMENT FROM HONG KONG. THERE IS NO INTENTION WHATSOEVER TO CHANGE ARE REFUGEES ᎢᎻᎪᎢ .

WE WILL CONTINUE TO HAVE SCREENING; THOSE WHO

WHAT WE ARE TALKING WILL CONTINUE TO BE ELIGIBLE FOR RE-SETTLEMENT. ABOUT IS THE REPATRIATION OF THOSE WHO ARE NON-REFUGEES AND

IF THIS WAS YOUR SUGGESTION REALLY, 1 THINK, TAKE THE POINT - WE ARE ACTING IN A NON-HUMANITARIAN WAY IN RETURNING NON-REFUGEES

HAS BEEN VIETNAM. INDEED,

I THINK THAT IT IS NON-HUMANITARIAN WHAT

A HAPPENING FOR THE LAST THREE-AND-A-HALF YEARS, TO GIVE THESE PEOPLE

ELIGIBLE FOR RE-SETTLEMENT. FALSE HOPE THAT THEY WILL ACTUALLY BE

NEITHER THEM THAT HOPE IS BOUND TO BE DASHED AND IT HAS REALLY DONE

OF THIS STATE A NOR

IT IS FAR MORE

ELSE ANYBODY UNCERTAINTY

WITH AND

SERVICE

THIS

BY

THEM LEAVING

WE THINK FALSE HOPE.

IN

I DON'T

THAT

ΤΟ

BACK IN

HUMANITARIAN TO PUT PEOPLE OUT OF THEIR UNCERTAINTY AND TO ENABLE THEM ΤΟ FACE AND COME TO GRIPS WITH THEIR FUTURE, WHICH MUST LIE VIETNAM.

QUESTION:

CURRENTLY FOR THOSE IN THE CAMPS IT TAKES ABOUT FOUR OR DO YOU FEEL THAT FIVE OR SIX FIVE MONTHS FOR THE SCREENING PROCESS.

TO DETERMINE WEEKS FOR NEW ARRIVALS IS A REASONABLE PERIOD OF TIME WHETHER OR NOT THEY ARE REFUGEES OR NON-REFUGEES?

TWO

LONG

FOR

ALISTAIR ASPREY: YES, THE SCREENING PROCESS IS THE SAME, THERE IS NO DIFFERENCE. ALL. IT MEANS IS THAT PEOPLE WILL BE SCREENED WITHIN OR THREE DAYS OF ARRIVAL RATHER THAN WAITING IN THE CAMPS FOR A

BEFORE BEING SCREENED. PERIOD

AFTER SCREENING, THE TIME ALLOWED

THE GIVEN

SAME THEY WILL BE APPEAL AND REVIEW WILL BE THE SAME. ACCESS TO UNHCR COUNSELLING, THE SAME ACCESS TO AVS LAWYERS, THE UNHCR ANY OTHERS. WILL CONSIDER THEIR CASE IN THE SAME WAY AS THEY DO FOR SO IT IS THE SAME PROCEDURE, THERE IS NOTHING DIFFERENT ABOUT IT.

BETTY LIV (TVB NEWS): WHAT IS THE REALISTIC TIME FRAME FOR YOU TO REPATRIATE MOST OF THE CAMP POPULATION? 3 YEARS, 5 YEARS--

ALISTAIR ASPREY:

I WOULD HESITATE TO PUT A FIRM TIME ON IT BUT REALISTICALLY I THINK WE ARE TALKING OF AT LEAST TWO YEARS, PROBABLY MORE LIKELY THREE YEARS FOR THE EXISTING CAMP POPULATION.

IT DOES DEPEND TO SOME EXTENT ON OUR FURTHER DISCUSSIONS WITH THE VIETNAMESE ON HOW THEY WILL SFE THE PHASING AND THE RE-INTEGRATION OF THIS LARGE NUMBER OF PEOPLE INTO VIETNAM BUT I SEE IT IN SOMETHING LIKE THAT TIME SCALE.

/Q: (CANTONESE)