XN000022-1992-04-23 — Page 6

THURSDAY, APRIL 23, 1992

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GOVT WELCOMES 100TH FLIGHT TO TAKE VIETS HOME

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THE HONG KONG GOVERNMENT TODAY (THURSDAY) WELCOMED THE 100TH FLIGHT ORGANISED BY THE UNHCR UNDER ITS VOLUNTARY REPATRIATION PROGRAMME FOR VIETNAMESE MIGRANTS.

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"THIS IS A MAJOR LANDMARK IN THE VOLUNTARY PROGRAMME, THE REFUGEE CO-ORDINATOR, MR CLINTON LEEKS, SAID.

"OVER 17,000 PEOPLE HAVE NOW GONE HOME SAFELY TO VIETNAM FROM

THE HONG KONG. WHEN COMBINED WITH

6,000 WHO HAVE GONE BACK FROM ELSEWHERE IN THE REGION, THIS MEANS THAT OVER 23,000 PEOPLE ARE NOW BACK HOME WITH GUARANTEES, INTERNATIONAL MONITORING AND ECONOMIC ASSISTANCE, HE SAID.

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"IT IS ALSO SIGNIFICANT THAT THIS 100TH FLIGHT IS TO HO CHI THE MINH CITY. THE SCHEME INITIALLY OPERATED TO HANOI ONLY, BUT SINCE START OF THIS YEAR WE HAVE HAD FIVE FLIGHTS DIRECT TO THE SOUTH. THIS AS MEANS THAT WE NOW HAVE ARRANGEMENTS IN PLACE TO RETURN SOUTHERN WELL AS NORTHERN VIETNAMESE DIRECT TO THEIR OWN HOMES, HE ADDED.

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TODAY'S GROUP OF 126 COMPRISES 44 MEN, 33 WOMEN,

20 GIRLS.

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BOYS AND

THE GROUP BROUGHT TO 3,487 THE TOTAL NUMBER OF VIETNAMESE

ΤΟ MIGRANTS WHO HAVE RETURNED VOLUNTARILY THIS YEAR, AND

17,466 THE TOTAL NUMBER OF RETURNEES SINCE THE PROGRAMME STARTED IN MARCH 1989.

AU TAU WATER TREATMENT WORKS COMMISSIONED

THE INCEPTION OF THE AU TAU TREATMENT WORKS HAS MARKED A NOTABLE STEP FORWARD IN THE GOVERNMENT'S EFFORTS TO MEET THE GROWING NEEDS OF WATER SUPPLY FOR COMMERCIAL AND RESIDENTIAL DEVELOPMENTS IN THE WESTERN NEW TERRITORIES.

THIS WAS STATED TODAY (THURSDAY) BY THE DIRECTOR OF WATER SUPPLIES, MR WONG KWOK-LAI, AT THE INAUGURATION CEREMONY OF THE STAGE I WORKS OF THE TREATMENT PLANT IN YUEN LONG.

"THE FAST PACE OF DEVELOPMENT IN RECENT YEARS HAS TRANSFORMED THE ONCE RURAL AREAS OF YUEN LONG AND TUEN MUN DISTRICTS INTO VIBRANT PLACES TO LIVE AND WORK AND HAS RESULTED IN A STEADY INCREASE IN THE DEMAND FOR TREATED WATER, MR WONG SAID.

DISTRICT,

IT IS ENVISAGED THAT THE TUEN MUN TREATMENT WORKS AND THE YUEN LONG TREATMENT WORKS, THE CURRENT SOURCES OF SUPPLY FOR THE WILL REACH THEIR DESIGNED CAPACITIES IN THE NEAR FUTURE.

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