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Vietnam have in fact been persuaded to leave by the Vietnamese
authorities in order to relive pressure on the country's economic
resources. The Vietnamese Government itself bears the major
responsibility for the refugee problem. In such circumstances
any proposal for an international aid programme to Vietnam would
meet with widespread opposition and could not be supported by
the British Government without a clear earnest of Vietnamese
intentions to put their own house in order and to withdraw their
Occupying forces from Cambodia.
What is HMG doing to promote the possibility of repatriation to
Vietnam?
18 We agree with UNHCR that repatriation is the most desirable
long term solution. But we also accept that any repatriation
to Vietnam could only be considered on a voluntary basis. In
para 17(a) of our memorandum we pointed out that there have to
date been very few volunteers from the camps in Hong Kong.
Clearly those who have taken the considerable risk to flee by
boat are not easily to be persuaded that their interests are
best served by returning to Vietnam. Given the Hanoi Government's
lamentable human rights record there is understandable reluctance
on the part of those who have fled to put themselves at the
Government's mercy, particularly when their departure by boat is considered "illegal" by the Vietnamese Government. I
would emphasise therefore that we could only support a repatriation
programme if there were adequate assurances from the Vietnamese
Government concerning their treatment of those returning. For
the moment, we consider it appropriate that UNHCR should continue
to take the initiative with the Vietnamese on this question.
Unfortunately to date there has been no indication that the Vietnamese authorities are prepared to give the necessary
assurances.
What is HMG doing to promote further local integration from
Hong Kong within the South East Asian Region?
19 We have made it clear to UNHCR, other resettlement countries
and first asylum countries that we consider local integration in
South East Asia to be preferable to resettlement in western
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