TNAG-2168-FCO40-3105-House-of-Commons-Foreign-Affairs-Committee-inquiry-into-Hong-1990 — Page 190

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Committee recommended that the Government should press the United

States to accept responsibility for the accommodation of those

screened out until such time as they are content to accept their repatriation to Vietnam (paragraph 5.6). The Government are doing

this.

34. The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees,

Mr Stoltenberg, launched a new initiative in mid-March aimed at

tackling the root causes of the exodus from Vietnam and increasing

the number of voluntary returns. He indicated that UNHCR would be

willing to monitor the conditions of all who return to Vietnam, on a

good offices and time limited basis, provided there was consensus in

support. The Government will continue to work closely with UNHCR for a comprehensive and durable solution. The Government's

objective is to ensure that the rate of returns to Vietnam is

sustained at 1,000 a month and that if there are fewer than 1000

volunteers, the difference should be made up by non-volunteers.

Government hope that there will be an international consensus

opening the way to UNHCR monitoring the conditions of all who

return. The Government are also working closely with UNHCR to limit

any shortcomings there may be in the screening process.

The

35. The Government agree with the Committee that assistance should

be given to those who return to Vietnam (paragraph 5.4).

Reintegration assistance is already being made available to help

returnees settle back into their communities, with volunteers

receiving slightly more generous terms. The Government are also

considering financial support for NGO activities in areas of Vietnam from which boat people predominantly come. However, programme aid

would need to await full acceptance by the Vietnamese authorities of

their obligations towards their own people.

36.

The Committee recommended that the Government should take

vigorous steps to secure a more positive and responsible approach by

the Chinese Government to the problem of Vietnamese boat people

CATAAU (15)

CONFIDENTIAL