XN000022-1992-11-20 — Page 2

FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 20, 1992

REFUGEE CO-ORDINATOR WELCOMES SMOOTH RETURN OF VIETNAMESE

THE REFUGEE CO-ORDINATOR, MR BRIAN BRESNIHAN, TODAY (FRIDAY) WELCOMED THE SMOOTH REPATRIATION OF 57 VIETNAMESE NON-REFUGEES UNDER THE ORDERLY REPATRIATION PROGRAMME (ORP).

"AS WE EXPECTED, THE REPATRIATION OPERATION CONDUCTED THIS MORNING HAS BEEN UNEVENTFUL. INCREASINGLY, NON-REFUGEES REALISE THAT THEIR FUTURE LIES BACK IN VIETNAM, WHERE THEY CAN REBUILD THEIR LIVES WITH FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE FROM THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITY AND OTHER AID SCHEMES, HE SAID.

THE VIETNAMESE WERE RETURNED TODAY ON THE SEVENTH ORP FLIGHT UNDER THE AGREEMENT REACHED WITH THE VIETNAMESE GOVERNMENT ON OCTOBER 29 LAST

YEAR.

THE GROUP COMPRISED 23 MEN, 16 WOMEN, 11 BOYS AND SEVEN GIRLS.

OF THEN, 47 WERE FORMERLY INMATES OF THE NEI KWU CHAU AND CHI MA WAN (LOWER) DETENTION CENTRES WHO ARRIVED IN HONG KONG BEFORE OCTOBER 29 LAST YEAR.

THE REMAINING 10 WERE CRIMINAL OFFENDERS BEING DEPORTED TO VIETNAM. ALL HAD BEEN SCREENED OUT AS NON-REFUGEES.

"OVER 10,800 HAVE RETURNED VOLUNTARILY ΤΟ VIETNAM SINCE JANUARY THIS YEAR AND OVER 2,000 VOLUNTEERS ARE AWAITING TO GO HOME.

"THIS CLEARLY SHOWS THAT THE ORDERLY REPATRIATION PROGRAMME IS A KEY ELEMENT IN ENCOURAGING MORE PEOPLE TO VOLUNTEER UNDER THE UNHCR SCHEME," HE SAID.

"FOR THE FIRST TIME SINCE JUNE 1989, POPULATION HAS DROPPED BELOW 45,000. IF WE CAN MOMENTUM OF VOLUNTARY RETURNS, WE WILL BE ABLE PLANS TO CLOSE DOWN ALL OUR CAMPS WITHIN THE WHICH WE HAVE SET, MR BRESNIHAN SAID.

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THE TOTAL VIETNAMESE MAINTAIN THE PRESENT TO PROCEED WITH OUR THREE-YEAR TIMEFRAME

TSING YI TO HAVE NEW BRIDGE AND ROADS

THE

ACCESS TSING

THE GOVERNOR IN COUNCIL HAS GIVEN APPROVAL TO PROCEED WITH CONSTRUCTION

NEW ог THE SECOND TSING YT SOUTH BRIDGE AND ROADS WHICH WILL FORM PART OF THE PORT DEVELOPMENT ON SOUTHEAST YI WHERE CONTAINER TERMINAL 9 (CT9) WILL BE LOCATED.

WILI.

BRIDGE THE NEW TSING YI SOUTH

FOUR PROVIDE

ADDITIONAL THE TWO LANES ON THE EXISTING TRAFFIC LANES WHICH, TOGETHER WITH

THERE, TSING YI SOUTH BRIDGE, WILL NOT ONLY SERVE FUTURE DEVELOPMENTS

DURING

BUT WILL ALSO GREATLY RELIEVE THE CURRENT PEAK HOURS.

TRAFFIC

CONGESTION

/THE BRIDGE