XN000022-1994-02-15 — Page 3

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TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 15, 1994

CPA STEERING COMMITTEE'S DECISION WELCOMED

* *

* *

THE ACTING

OF

SECRETARY FOR SECURITY, MR KEN WOODHOUSE, TODAY WELCOMED THE (TUESDAY)

DECISION BY THE COMPREHENSIVE PLAN ACTION (CPA) STEERING COMMITTEE MEETING IN GENEVA ON THE REPATRIATION OF THOSE VIETNAMESE MIGRANTS (VMS) WHO, WHILE NOT WILLING TO GO THROUGH THE VOLUNTARY REPATRIATION PROCEDURE, DO NOT OBJECT ΤΟ BEING REPATRIATED (THAT IS THE NON-OBJECTORS SCHEME).

MR WOODHOUSE SAID:

'WHILE VOLUNTARY REPATRIATION REMAINS OUR PREFERRED OPTION FOR SECURING THE RETURN OF THE VMS TO VIETNAM, THERE IS A NEED TO SPEED UP THE PROCESS OF REPATRIATION TO MEET THE INTERNATIONALLY AGREED TWO-YEAR TIMETABLE.

"WE THEREFORE WELCOME ANY DECISIONS BY THE CPA STEERING COMMITTEE WHICH WOULD HELP ACCELERATE THE PACE OF REPATRIATION OF THE SCREENED-OUT VMS FROM OUR CAMPS."

"THE VM PROBLEM HAS BEEN A HEAVY BURDEN FOR HONG KONG FOR ABOUT 18 YEARS AND THE RECENT DECISION BY THE CPA STEERING COMMITTEE WILL SEND A CLEAR MESSAGE TO THE CAMP POPULATION. THEIR FUTURE LIES IN VIETNAM NOT CAMPS IN HONG KONG, HE SAID.

.

THE ACTING SECRETARY SAID HE WAS PLEASED TO SEE THAT AN END ΤΟ THIS PROBLEM WAS AT PRESENT IN SIGHT AND THAT THE INTERNATIONAL COMMUNITY ALSO RECOGNISED THAT THIS PROBLEM SHOULD BE SOLVED BY THE END OF 1995.

"WE

WILL BEGIN TO WORK OUT THE DETAILS FOR THE NON-OBJECTORS SCHEME WITH THE UNITED NATIONS HIGH COMMISSIONER FOR REFUGEES AS SOON AS PRACTICABLE, HE SAID.

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THE OVERALL ATMOSPHERE IN THE CAMPS HAS BEEN CALM AND PEACEFUL ALTHOUGH A NUMBER OF PEACEFUL DEMONSTRATIONS IN VARIOUS CENTRES HAVE TAKEN PLACE TO COINCIDE WITH THE CPA STEERING MEETING.

DETENTION COMMITTEE

AND

"WE ARE PLEASED THAT THE DEMONSTRATIONS HAVE BEEN PEACEFUL ORDERLY AND WE HOPE THAT THE VMS WILL CONTINUE TO EXERCISE RESTRAINT AND RESPONSIBILITY IN EXPRESSING THEIR OPINIONS.

"WE DO UNDERSTAND THE CONCERN OF THE VMS BUT THEY MUST REALISE THAT THEIR FUTURE AND THAT OF THEIR FAMILIES, LIES IN VIETNAM, WOODHOUSE SAID.

MR

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