COHAMK
HKB 040/4.
PARAGRAPHS FOR INCLUSION IN BRIEFING FOR MR PATTEN
рез pey Briefing file
The International Conference in Geneva made good progress towards a comprehensive and durable solution of the problem of Vietnamese boat people and endorsed a Comprehensive Plan of Action which had been drafted at earlier meetings. Screening is now being introduced
throughout the region, to distinguish genuine refugees from
economic migrants,
who now form the majority of the boat people.
The era when such people could hope for automatic resettlement in
the West has ended.
We made considerable progress at the Geneva Conference on all our
objectives.
On resettlement sufficient pledges were offered by the
International Community to resettle all the 55,000 odd
refugees remaining in the region, including the 14,000 or so in Hong Kong within 3 years.
The Philippines offered to host a Regional Processing
Centre for Refugees, subject to certain conditions being
met and we have pledged £5m towards the cost provided other
countries also contribute. The UNHCR will now be
conducting a feasibility study.
On repatriation the Vietnamese have accepted that all boat
people determined by the screening process not to be refugees should return to Vietnam. We have already begun discussing with them bilaterally practical measures to
build on the existing programme of Voluntary Repatriation.
Expert talks will take place in Hanoi next week, to be
followed by a visit to London by the Vietnamese Foreign
Minister.
Progress towards all these objectives will be reviewed at the
next meeting of Steering Committee on 24 July to review progress.
It will if necessary agree on additional and alternative measures to
ensure the early and balanced implementation of the Comprehensive
Plan of Action.
No comments yet.
Private notes are available after approval.