TNAG-1529-FCO40-2093-Hong-Kong-Vietnamese-refugees-general-1986 — Page 20

HKGV CH

-TI ADDRESS CALL MOM

61190 HKGIS HX

GIS/L/391-

FROM DIS (JOHNNIE KHAN)

TO : ALL OVERSEAS OFFICES. SEPTEMBER 15, 1986.

SPECIAL ROUNDUP

156

FOLLOWING IS A SUMMARY OF A PRESS CONFERENCE GIVEN BY THE * UNITED NATIONS HIGH COMMISSIONER FOR Refugees MR JEAN-PIERRE * HOCKE, WHO IS ON A FOUR-DAY VISIT TO HONG KONG.

THE V.N. HIGH COMMISSIONER FOR REFUGEES MR JEAN-PIERRE HOCKE,

* SAID THAT OF THE 1.3 MILLION REFUGEEB WHO LEFT THE INDO-CHINA * AREA OVER THE PAST YEARS, SOME 1.2 MILLION HAD ALREADY BEEN * RESETTLED.

· ALTHOUGH THERE HAD BEEN DIFFICULTIEB ENCOUNTERED IN RESETTLING * THE RESIDUAL CASES, THE REMAINING FIGURE HAD TO BE SEEN AGAINST

THOSE RESETTLED, HE SAID.

MR HOCKE WHO TOOK UP HIS POST AS HIGH COMMISSIONER LAST

* DECEMBER, IS ON A TOUR OF REFUGEE CAMPB IN ASIA TO +SEE IF ANYTHING * NEEDED IMPROVEMENTS.+

ASKED IF HE WAS SATISFIED WITH THE CONDITION OF HONG KONG'S * REFUGEE CAMPS, MR HOCKE SAID THE UNHCR ALWAYS WANTED TO SEE

* IMPROVEMENTS IN CAMP CONDITIONS,

+WHEN WE REQUEST IMPROVEMENTS TO BE MADE WE DO NOT BASE OUR * REQUEST ON COMPARISON WITH OTHER AREAS. IT IS BASED ON THE * NEEDS OF THE REFUGEES,+ HE SAID.

BUT HE ADDED THAT A LOT HAD BEEN DONE IN HONG KONG GIVEN THE * LOCAL .CIRCUMSTANCES. MR HOCKE SAID THE UNHCR WAS DOING ITS BEST

ต่า * TO HAVE THE RESIDUAL CASES RESETTLED.

A ASKED WHETHER THE UNHCR WAS IN FAVOUR OF REPATRIATION, MR HOCKE

* SAID IT WAS, BUT CERTAIN CONDITIONS. HAD TO BE MET BEFORE

* REPATRIATION COULD BE PURSUED. ONE OF THOSE CONDITIONS, HE

A

* ADDED, WAS THAT REPATRIATION HAD TO BE VOLUNTARY. ANOTHER WAS

* THE REFUGEE'S OWN ABILITY TO RE-INTEGRATE INTO HIS FORMER SOCIETY.

how?

28880 HKGV CH

28880 HKGV CH

+++END+++

wk hairs shat!