THE screening process in Hongkong for Vietnamese asylum seekers has been criticised in the 1993 Amnesty annual report, which otherwise shows a trend towards improvement of human rights in the territory.
The report suggests having an appeal process in which asylum-seekers do not have the right to appeal in person is an abuse of human rights.
''Amnesty has certain guidelines for how refugee status should be defined, which includes an oral hearing at appeal stage,'' Amnesty spokeswoman in Hongkong, Robyn Kilpatrick, said.
''Having an oral appeal rather than relying on written submissions gives protection to making sure the genuine refugees are found.'' The acting chairman for the Appeal Board, Patrick Hase, said he was confident all procedures carried out by the board ''are legal, and in accordance with natural justice''.
''It is not an abuse of human rights; it would be an abuse if they were denied status without interviews at any stage, but the screening process itself includes several interviews.'' Mr Hase said about one quarter of asylum-seekers who appealed were called for interviews, and he doubted more would win their appeals if they had the right to appear in person.
The Hongkong part of the report was not altogether negative, Amnesty said.