MOVES are under way for officials to travel to Vietnam to discuss the release of 125 boat people from Hong Kong detention centres into open camps.
A government spokesman confirmed meetings at a working level had been sought to discuss the cases and to seek ways to minimise difficulties in securing the return of screened-out boat people.
'We await a response from the Vietnamese to our proposals,' he said. 'The composition of the delegation has yet to be determined.' Liberal Party legislator Selina Chow Liang Shuk-yee and seven other party representatives yesterday handed in 12,000 signatures to the Secretary for Security Alistair Asprey, pointing out the importance of solving the problem before 1997.
She quoted Mr Asprey as saying the Government intended to send a team to Hanoi next week.
He said the Government aimed to repatriate all boat people by the end of 1996, which was one year later than the original target of 1995. But according to Mrs Chow, Mr Asprey made clear that was an objective not a deadline.
She said the administration had set up a working group to study ways to get Vietnam to take back the 125 boat people, prevent a repeat of the incident and speed up repatriation.