XN000022-1991-10-29 — Page 8

TUESDAY, OCTOBER 29, 1991

7

HAS THAT BEEN THE AND CAN YOU SAY

QUESTION:

YOU MENTIONED THE EC PROGRAMME, DECISIVE FACTOR IN GETTING VIETNAM TO YIELD FINALLY? A FEW THINGS ON THE CONTENTS OF THIS PROGRAMME?

ALISTAIR ASPREY:

I DON'T KNOW WHETHER IT HAS BEEN A DECISIVE FACTOR. I SUSPECT PROBABLY NOT A DECISIVE FACTOR BUT I THINK IT HAS UNDOUBTEDLY BEEN A FACTOR IN PERSUADING THE VIETNAMESE THAT THEY SHOULD CONCLUDE AN AGREEMENT TO TRY TO BRING THIS PROBLEM NOW TO AN END. THE EC PROGRAMME, AS I SAID, EXPENDITURE UNDER THAT PROGRAMME IN VIETNAM IS DIRECTLY RELATED TO THE NUMBER OF PEOPLE RETURNING ΤΟ VIETNAM AND IT INCLUDES, I THINK, TWO MAIN ELEMENTS. FIRST,

IT INCLUDES LOANS TO PEOPLE RETURNING TO VIETNAM WHICH ENABLE THEM ΤΟ ESTABLISH THEMSELVES IN BUSINESS AND TO SET UP IN EMPLOYMENT. AND IT ALSO INCLUDES SMALL SCALE PROJECTS SMALL SCALE INFRASTRUCTURE AND OTHER PROJECTS - IN THE AREAS IN VIETNAM WHICH HAVE BEEN PARTICULARLY THOSE FROM WHICH THE BOAT PEOPLE HAVE LEFT.

QUESTION:

P

WOULD YOU EXPECT SOME SEVERE UNREST IN THE CLOSED-CAMPS AFTER THE ANNOUNCEMENT, AND HOW WILL THE FORCE REACT TO THE SITUATION?

ALLISTAIR ASPREY! I DON'T EXPECT VIOLENCE IN THE CAMPS BUT NOR DO I EXCLUDE THE POSSIBILITY. WE WILL REALLY APPROACH THIS SUBJECT IN TWO WAYS. FIRST, WE WILL ENDEAVOUR TO EXPLAIN TO THE PEOPLE IN THE CAMPS WHAT THE AGREEMENT ENTAILS. WE WILL CO-OPERATE WITH THE UNHCR AND THE NON-GOVERNMENT ORGANISATIONS IN THE CAMPS TO COUNSEL PEOPLE AND REALLY EXPLAIN TO THEM WHAT THE FUTURE HOLDS FOR THEM AND WHAT THEY MUST FACE TO AND TAKE A DECISION ON. SO IT WILL BE OUR AIM AND WE WILL DO EVERYTHING WE CAN TO PREVENT ANY KIND OF DISORDER IN THE CAMPS. OF COURSE, IN THE FINAL ANALYSIS WE WILL BE DETERMINED TO MAINTAIN LAW AND ORDER IN THE CAMPS. IF THERE IS ANY DISORDER THERE, IT IS ALMOST CERTAIN THAT IT WILL BE INSTIGATED BY ONLY A VERY SMALL MINORITY AND REALLY IT IS THE, IF YOU LIKE, THE SILENT MAJORITY IN THE CAMPS THAT SUFFERS MOST FROM THIS SORT OF DISORDER AND IT IS THOSE PEOPLE WHOM WE' WILL CERTAINLY PROTECT FROM DISORDER.

UP

QUESTION:

MR ASPREY, DO YOU STATE CATEGORICALLY THAT NO MATTER WHAT THE U.S. RESPONSE MAY BE, IT WILL NOT AFFECT THE IMPLEMENTATION OF THIS AGREEMENT IN ANY MATERIAL WAY?

ALISTAIR ASPREY:

IMPLEMENT

IMPLEMENT

WHAT I CAN SAY IS THAT WE CERTAINLY THIS AGREEMENT, AND I AM SURE THAT VIETNAM ALSO IT, BECAUSE THAT IS WHY WE HAVE BOTH SIGNED THE WE WOULD NOT HAVE SIGNED AN AGREEMENT WHICH WE IMPLEMENT.

DO NOT

INTEND TO INTENDS TO AGREEMENT. INTEND ΤΟ

QUESTION:

BUT MR ASPREY, VIETNAM HAS SIGNED AGREEMENTS BEFORE AND THEN RENEGED ON THEM, ARE YOU CONFIDENT THAT YOU ARE ACTUALLY GOING TO GET THE WHOLE CAMP POPULATION BACK? ARE THEY NOT JUST WAITING TO SEE HOW THESE FIRST FLIGHTS GO INITIALLY AND IF THEY ARE UNSATISFACTORY THEN THEY WILL JUST BACK OUT AGAIN?

ALISTAIR ASPREY : I AM CONFIDENT THAT WE NOW HAVE AN AGREEMENT WHICH WILL ALLOW US TO DEAL WITH THIS PROBLEM AND TO RESOLVE IT.

/QUESTION: