A.
8. Q.
9.
A.
2.
A.
It will not be easy.
First of all, it is vital that the 1989 Geneva Conference sends the right message to those in Vietnam who are contemplating leaving, a sufficiently strong message to deter them. But in addition it is important that the people of Vietnam are made fully aware of the measures that have already been in place for some time: screening was introduced in Hong Kong a year ago, and in ASEAN countries in March, and effectively ended the automatic right to resettlement. The small proportion who would qualify for resettlement should be aware that they can apply to do so under the ODP without having to leave Vietnam and risk their lives on the South China Sea. UNHCR is now implementing an extensive information campaign to raise the Vietnamese people's awareness of their true situation and the of the
¿of majority of their expectations.
Chinese illegal immigrants in Hong Kong are simply returned to China. How can you justify treating Vietnamese who arrive illegally, and with no true refugee status, any differently?
The
The Chinese have agreed to take back their own people, in accordance with internationally accepted practices relating to the responsibility of states towards their citizens. Vietnamese have not yet. But we also recoginse that a proportion of those arriving are refugees. The screening process exists to identify these. The rest have no long term future anywhere other than back in Vietnam.
Say a programme of Mandatory Repatriation is agreed, and HMG learns that despite agreed safeguards, some of those sent back are being punished. How would HMG react?
R
HMG would not react alone. Together with ASEAN and other countries, including the US, we would prepare the work on institution of measures which would exert pressure on the SRV to abide by its undertakings. But we are aware that the SRV is keen to gain international respectability, and we are reasonably confident that they understand that it would not
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