XN000022-1991-10-29 — Page 9

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TUESDAY, OCTOBER 29, 1991

J

EXACTLY HOW OF QUESTION

STATES IS HOW ARE

QUESTION:

CAN YOU GIVE US A FEW MORE DETAILS ABOUT THE REPATRIATIONS WILL GO AHEAD? AND EVEN THOUGH THE FORCE WAS NOT DISCUSSED IN VIETNAM, OBVIOUSLY THE UNITED VERY INTERESTED IN WHETHER FORCE WILL OR WILL NOT BE USED. YOU GOING TO DEAL WITH THIS ISSUE?

ALISTAIR ASPREY:

TO GO OR. IN

AS

THINK

I THINK IT IS VERY DIFFICULT TO EXPECT ME WE WILL NOT DO THIS TODAY, INTO ALL THE OPERATIONAL DETAILS, ADVANCE, ALTHOUGH AS WE HAVE SAID, WE WILL KEEP THE PRESS INFORMED AND WHEN WE HAVE A REPATRIATION OPERATION TAKING PLACE. WHAT I I WILL SAY IS THIS, TO REPEAT THAT IT IS OUR AIM TO GET AS MANY PEOPLE RECENT AS POSSIBLE TO RETURN VOLUNTARILY AND I AM ENCOURAGED THAT IN

THE THE LAST FEW WEEKS, IN

NUMBER OF PARTICULARLY MONTHS, AND

SECONDLY, THAT WE SHARE VOLUNTEERS HAS INCREASED VERY SUBSTANTIALLY.

THAT WITH THE VIETNAMESE, AND I AM SURE WITH EVERYBODY ELSE, THE WISH

FASHION. REPATRIATIONS SHOULD TAKE PLACE IN AN ORDERLY AND DIGNIFIED

PEOPLE WILL DO EVERYTHING WE POSSIBLY CAN TO ENCOURAGE AND ENABLE

THE FINAL ΤΟ

WHETHER THEY DO SO IN RETURN IN DIGNITY. DEPENDS OF COURSE ON THEIR OWN BEHAVIOUR WHICH WE CANNOT CONTROL.

ANALYSIS

BEFORE ARE

QUESTION:

HOW LONG DO YOU INTEND TO WAIT FOR NEW ARRIVALS TURNING YOURSELF TO THE LARGER MASS OF BOAT-PEOPLE IN THE CAMPS? YOU GOING TO WAIT UNTIL THERE ARE NO MORE NEW ARRIVALS BEFORE THINKING ABOUT IT?

THAT BECAUSE WE

THE NEXT FEW

AND

HOPE ARRIVALS WILL

ALISTAIR ASPREY: IT IS VERY DIFFICULT TO ANSWER DON'T KNOW WHAT THE PATTERN OF ARRIVALS WILL BE OVER DAYS, FEW

I WOULD CERTAINLY EXPECT WEEKS, OR FEW MONTHS. THAT WE

WILL QUITE SOON REACH THE POSITION WHERE NEW HAVE DWINDLED, IF NOT TO NOTHING AT LEAST TO FAIRLY NEGLIGIBLE NUMBERS QUICKLY OF A HANDFUL OR SO A WEEK. WE WILL INTEND TO MOVE ON FAIRLY TO THE EXISTING CAMP POPULATION ONCE WE ARE SATISFIED THAT THE PROBLEM OF NEW ARRIVALS HAS BEEN SOLVED. I DON'T MEAN BY THAT UNTIL THERE ARE

DOWN GOTTEN

TO HAVE AT NO NEW ARRIVALS

ALL, BUT UNTIL WE INSIGNIFICANT NUMBERS.

VERY

QUESTION:

CAN

I JUST CLARIFY?

YOU WON'T BE

TURNING TO

THOSE I MEAN

ALREADY IN THE CAMPS UNTIL THERE ARE ALMOST NO NEW ARRIVALS? THE SECOND STAGE WILL NOT OCCUR UNTIL THE FIRST IS OUT OF THE WAY

WILL.

ALISTAIR

WE HAVE SAID THAT THE PROGRAMME

CONCENTRATE ASPREY: INITIALLY ON NEW ARRIVALS. NEW ARRIVALS ARE IN FACT, IF ONE TAKES THE IF THEY CONTINUE LIKE LAST TWO OR THREE WEEKS, ALREADY NEGLIGIBLE.

THE REMAINING THAT THEN I WOULD EXPECT TO MOVE FAIRLY QUICKLY ON TO CAMP POPULATION. CERTAINLY IT WILL BE OUR INTENTION IN THE REASONABLY NEAR FUTURE TO MOVE ON TO THE REMAINING CAMP POPULATION BUT I PUT ANY SPECIFIC TIMING ON THAT.

CANNOT

QUESTION:

YOU SAID IN YOUR OPENING REMARKS ON THAT PARTICULAR THOSE IN THE CAMPS THAT THERE ARE STILL DETAILS TO BE WORKED OUT; WHAT ARE THOSE?

POINT

-

ALISTAIR Annday: