“> that he may

SINCE 123 citizens of
the People’s Republic of
China were caught bob-
bing around in the
waters of Nootka
Sound, a great debate
has been stirred on the
subject of what we as a
country should do with
them.

No matter which side of
the debate one is on, the
whole of the situation is very
troubling.

In the first place, we need
to understand that Canadian
authoritics did not intercept
the ramshackle fishing boat.
Two of the “boat people”
tried to get ashore on a
makeshift raft and were
scooped up by a pair of off-
duty American cops on a fish-
ing vacation. Once they callect
9-1-1 our Coast Guard kicked
into action.

This is an integral part of
the problem. Our military,
Coast Guard and the RCMP
have all been hurt badly by
the federal government which
can’t seem to come to grips
with what should be its main
priority — to protect the citi-
zenry. Consequently we sim-
ply cannot look after our
coastline.

The inability to keep an
appropriate watch on our

Ores is precisely why those

mailbox

We need to
encourage

automobile
altematives

Dear Editors” '
Re: July’ 8 letter to editor
from A. Phillips.
«Mr. Phillips? inflammato-
ry comment about “blither-
ing idiots” does not deserve
"-a response. although I’m

sure it was designied to raise ©
--onel.

. His. “dinosaur” attitude,
however, must be addressed.
F'cominute by bike over
¢: Lions Gate..12 months
of the year and have done so
for the past cight years. (I’ve
lived on the North Shore for
most of my 47 years.)
‘I don’t:-know how many
cyclists use the bridge daily
- and I allow that 700 may be
overstating the number.
However, I do know that
the. number: has grown sub-
ntially over the last eight

2, de. is that continued

-.. growth that has to be
encouraged:

- <The easier and more

attra ive you: make trans-

po ion alternatives: the .

more people will use them.
“I don’t consider. myself a
“bleeding ‘heart”. but I do
believe that use.of che auto-
- mobile must be reduced.
 +.Total dependence on the
: automobile is 3. hoidover
from past generations and a
- change in attitude is neces-
sary for reasons that seem
abvious to me.
_ ”. Ms. Phillips has lived on
the North Shore for 36
~ years. My biggest concern is
only 37 years
- old...

_pmceomeetotet cs ae

people were in Nootka Sound
in the first place.

Having said that, there are
a great many questions arising
from the information coming
from the illegal migrants. Not
the least of which has to do

crime and
punishment

with the stories being told.

According to the informa-
tion being released by
Immigration Canada and the
RCMP, all the migrants paid
berween $36,000 and
$40,000 US to be smuggled
into Canada.

They claim to have spent
39 days on the rustbucker for-
mer fishing boat crossing the
Pacific Ocean. So the story
goes, they were ill-fed, had no
kitchen facilities, no wash-
room or shower facilities yet
they were afl in remarkably
good physical condition when
examined by Canadian doc-
tors. How is that possible?

Last Friday The Vancouver
Sus ran a story suggesting the
migrants might have had help

along the way.

The story "quoted Paul
Dupre, president of Western
Maritime Surveyors, who had
inspected the boat on behalf
of immigration investigators.

“T really question that the
boat actually steamed 39 days
to arrive here unassisted. In
my experience, that doesn’t
seem practical — if not impos-
sible,” said the maritinie
expert.

Dupre confirmed reports
of horrible conditions on the
boat, overflowing slop buck-
ets, used toilet paper strewn
all over the place and various
other equally squalid exam-
ples. But he said the boat did
not have the capacity for sufli-
cient water and fuel for the
lengthy journey.

Officially, immigration and
police authorities are saying
there is no evidence of any
assistance such as a “mother
ship.” Unofficially, the poten-
tial for a highly organized
international smuggling set-up
is a major part of the investi-
gation.

What is clear is the involve-
ment of Asian organized crime
groups. Equally, there is also
reason to believe Canada was
not to be their final destina-
tion, but rather it was simple
the conduit to the soft under-
belly of the United States —

orous tinprotected bor-
ies etween our ovo caun-

trics.

Clearly the traffic in
human cargo is rapidly
becoming a significant aspect
of the Asian gangs.

The weakness of Canadian
laws and government policy
has played right into their
hands, all the while costing

the taxpayer 2 huge amount of

moncy.

Both Canada and the U.S.
are signatories to the same
UN agreements on refugees.
But it is very interesting to
look at the differences in the
way the two countries deal
with asylum seckers.

The migrants are currently
being howed a CFB
Esquimalt under guard while
their refugee claims are being
processed.

There are a battery of
lawyers assigned to represent
the boat peo ple on our dime.
Had the boat landed on U.S.
soil, say Catalina Island for
example, this would not hap-

rn.

} spoke with a representa-
tive of the U.S. Immigration
and Naturalization Service and
posed the question of how
they might handle such a situ-
ation.

In the first place, I was
told, while the asylum
claimants have the right to
legal counsel, the American
taxpayer does not fund the
lawyers.

Wednesday, August 4, 1999 — North Shore News — 7

ubling questions about boat people

“There is no cost to the
government,” said the officer,
“They are cither pro bono or
paid for by NGOs (Non
Government Organizations),”
he said.

The other significant dif-
ference is the way the claim is
dealt with. Here, once thie
incipient claimant raises his
hand and mumbles the word

“refugee” all manner of pub-
licly-funded support kicks in,
including legal aid and welfare
while the claim is processed.

Not so in the U.S.

‘They conduct what are
called “credible fear” inter-
views. Essentially, these inter-
views determine whether there
is a reasonable fear of persecu-
tion in the homeland of the
claimant. If it is determined
this docs not exist, the person
is “repatriated” as soon as
possible.

In other words, there is no
ability for an economic
refugee to gain status in the
U.S. They must go through
the nornal application
process,

Our i immigration officials
always say it’s very difficult
dealing with the Chinese gov-
emment. They will not issue
travel documents for refugee
clairnants who do not possess
proof of identity. Which
means most because, as with
the boat migrants last week,
they divest themselves of all

Disappointed by fast-ferry service

Dear Editor:

We were recently
Nanaimo looking forward to
our first experience on the new
PacifiCat. After boarding we all
gathered at the clevator, but no
elevator caine, people with
buggies and tide erly cople
waited, finally they said the ele-
vator was broken so I took my
elderly 90-year-old . mother
back to the car where we sat the
entire trip. My husband who

had back surgery three weeks
prior and was in a neck brace
had to use the bathroom so he
struggled up the steep stairs
only to find that you couldn’t
flush the toilets because they
were broken also.

A few days later I returned
with my mother without the
car because of the expense only
to find there was no wheelchair
on this side, and the clevator
was corda.icd off.

crete

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it, Lube & Fitter
21 pt. Safety check. 15 minutes - FAST!
includes up to 5 lites of 10w30 Quakerstate

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& blinds Itd.

Serving the Lower Mainland for over 27. ” year:

On my return the next day
for the 11:39 a.m. PacifiCat I
was told it docsn’t run on
Tuesdays — something they
didn’t tell me when I honed
for the scheduled sailings. I
waited fer che regular 12:30
p.m. sailing which sailed at

1:10 p.m. getting me in too

DEELERS ANTIQUES |

kus % Curios

CW

late for my ride waiting on the
other side.

Oh the joys of riding the
ferries, once is definitely
enough!

What a waste of taxpayers’
money, Mr. Clark.

Caroline Markwart
North Vancouver

“i AMBLESIDE |
CLOSEOQUEE
oY

ALL3

STORES are
TAKING PART

‘HUGE, SALES

VENT!
DON’T

MISS OUT!

Vancouver,
Ph. 604.879.3394 * Fx. 604.879.2374

810 N Park Royal,

. fest Vancouver. BC, V7T 1H9
“Ph. ‘coa.on2.02'9 . "Px. 604.922.8490

identification.

What happens is that
Canada winds up negouating
with the Chinese government
to please take back their citi-
zens and we wind up signing
an economic development
deal as a bribe

Nor so in the U.S. They
invite representatives of the
Chinese government to inter-
view the claimants personally.

Once done, the respective
travel documents are issued
promptly. I asked if they have
ever had to enter into an eco-
nomic arrangement with
China as we have. Not surpris-
ingly, he just scoffed at che
prospect. The reality is that
most of the refugee claimants
from China never bother
showing up for their board
hearings once they’re here.

They go to the U.S. and
disappear among the masses in
New York or L.A. The same
will happen with this latest
group if they arc released from
custody. Guaranteed.

The way this breaks down

is simple. The U.S. winds up

with more illegal immigrants.
The Asian oe make a
ton of money trafficking in
human misery. The lawyers
continue to build their immi-
gration industry, gumming "?
our already fuzzy laws, An
you and [ pay for the privi-”
lege.

— hknight@direct.ca

“Native JEWELLERY/
Wepboine Rincs™
441 West 3rd Street, North Vancouve:

988-9215 -

ay

* Reproductions

L
1582 Marine Drive, -
West Vancouver., BC, V7V 1H8

Ph. 604.922.1330.» Fx..604.922. 1850