TNAG-1795-FCO40-2555-Hong-Kong-Vietnamese-refugees-repatriation--including-Opera-1988 — Page 362

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061301

MDLIAN 3142

COULD RESPOND QUICKLY THE ARRANGEMENTS COULD DOVETAIL. BUT WE MADE

IT CLEAR THAT WE COULD NOT DELAY IMPLEMENTATION OF OUR POLICY

INDEFINITELY.

6. AS REGARDS THE PROCEDURE ITSELF, BAYANDOR AND BARI PRAISED THE THOROUGHNESS AND SOUND BASIS OF THE DESIGN OF THE QUESTIONNAIRE, BUT FELT THERE WAS STILL ROOM FOR IMPROVEMENT. THEY COULD ENVISAGE

THE ADDITION OF QUESTIONS TO ELICIT INFORMATION RELEVANT TO THE

WIDER HUMANITARIAN PERSPECTIVE AND WOULD LIKE TO SEE BETTER

TRAINING PROVIDED FOR INTERPRETERS.

7

BAYANDOR AND BARI HOWEVER MAINTAINED THROUGHOUT THE STANCE THAT

UNHCR WOULD ONLY BE PREPARED TO BE SEEN TO BE ACTIVELY INVOLVED IN

HKG'S SCREENING PROCEDURE IF THEY COULD BE SATISIFED THAT HKG WAS

MAKING ADJUSTMENTS TO MEET UNHCR'S HUMANITARIAN CONCERNS ABOUT

LIBERALISING CLOSED CENTRES AND RELAXATION OF DETENTION ARRANGE-

MENTS/RULES FOR THOSE AWAITING SCREENING AND SCREENED-OUT VIIS

AT HEI LING CHAU.

8. LIBERALISATION OF CLOSED CENTRES:

/

BAYANDOR AND BARI APPARENTLY FELT THAT UNHCR HAD SOMEHOW BEEN

MISLED INTO BELIEVING THAT LIBERALISATION OF CLOSED CENTRES WOULD

BE COMPLETED I12 MONTHS AFTER ANNOUNCMENT OF THE POLICY

REGARDLESS OF ANY OTHER CONSIDERATIONS. WE CLARIFIED THAT WHILE

WE WERE COMMITTED TO LIBERALISATION, THE TIMING WAS A FUNCTION OF

A NUMBER OF FACTORS INCLUDING THE DETERRENT EFECT OF THE POLICY OR OTHERWISE, THE DEVELOPMENT OF TUEN MUN AREA 46A AS AN OPEN CAMP THE OUTCOME OF THE TALKS WITH HANOI ON REPATRIATION ETC WE EXPLAINED THAT THERE COULD BE NO QUESTION OF OPENING UP THE CAMPS 'IN-SITU'. BAYANDOR AND BARI CONSIDERED THE USE OF THE

MULTI-STOREY SAN YICK FACTORY BUILDING AS A CLOSED CENTRE

UNACCEPTABLE. THEY PROPOSED USING THE BUILDING INSTEAD AS AN OPEN CENTRE TO HOUSE 5,000 REFUGEES SELECTED ON THE BASIS OF SOME

OBJECTIVE CRITERIA (E.G. LENGTH OF STAY). WE QUERIED THE ABILITY

OF ANY VOLUNTARY AGENCY TO MANAGE LARGE NUMBERS OF REFUGEES IN

SECURITY AND SAFETY IN THIS TYPE OF SETTING AND REMINDED THEM OF

THE JUBILEE TRANSIT CENTRE.

·

9. WE SAID THAT WE WERE PREPARED TO LOOK AT MEASURES FOR

LIBERALISATION ALONG THE LINES OF GRANTING CONTROLLED ACCESS TO

J OB S SCHOLLING AND RECREATIONAL ACTIVITIES OUTSIDE THE EXISTING

CLOSED CENTRES, SUBJECT TO SECURITY AND MANAGEMENT CONSIDERATIONS. WE STRESSED HOWEVER THAT WE WOULD WELCOME THE EARLY DEVELOPMENT OF

TUEN MUN AREA 46A AS ALTERNATIVE OPEN CENTRE ACCOMMODATION (UNDER

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