PRESSURE ON THE CHINESE SIDE. THE BRIGADIER SAID, HOWEVER THAT IT WAS TOO EARLY TO JUDGE WHETHER THE DROP IN NUMBERS WAS ONLY TEMPORARY OR WHETHER THERE WAS A GENUINE PERMANENT CHANGE. HE STRESSED THAT THE SENDING OUT OF REINFORCEMENTS OF A U.K. INFANTRY BATTALION AND TWO COMPANIES OF GHURKAS, WAS MAKING A MAJOR CONTRIBUTION TO THE OPERATION.
AFTER VISITING A HOUSING DEVELOPMENT IN THE NEW TERRITORIES, LORD CARRINGTON WENT ON TO TWO OF THE CAMPS HANDLING 58,000 REFUGEES AT PRESENT IN HONG KONG. THE FOREIGN SECRETARY WAS TOLD THAT THERE WERE OVER 40,000 ''BOAT PEOPLE'' IN GOVERNMENT ACCOMMODATION, 15,020 IN UNITED NATIONS CAMPS AND 2,665 FROM THE FREIGHTER ''SKYLUCK WHICH HAD GONE ONTO ROCKS AND BEEN EVACUATED THE PREVIOUS DAY AFTER BEING ANCHORED OFF HONG KONG FOR FIVE MONTHS. ONLY 4,800 REFUGEES HAD BEEN RESETTLED THIS YEAR.
AT THE GOVERNMENT DOCKYARD, LORD CARRINGTON VISITED THE TRANSIT CAMP WHERE HE SAW SOME OF THE 7,000 REFUGEES WHO ARE CURRENTLY BEING CLEARED BY IMMIGRATION AND HEALTH OFFICIALS BEFORE MOVING TO RESIDENTIAL CAMPS ELSEWHERE IN HONG KONG. HE ALSO VISITED THE U.N. CAMP AT SHAM SHUI PO.
ANSWERING QUESTIONS AT HIS PRESS CONFERENCE, LORD CARRINGTON SAID THAT NOBODY WHO HAD SEEN WHAT HE HAD SEEN AT THE REFUGEE CAMPS TODAY COULD FAIL TO HAVE BROUGHT HOME TO HIM THE SCALE OF HUMAN SUFFERING OF WHAT WAS HAPPENING TO THE REFUGEES. HE SAID THAT THE FAULT LAY WITH THE VIETNAMESE GOVERNMENT WHOSE POLICIES WERE LEADING TO DREADFUL AND INHUMAN TREATMENT OF
REFUGEES.
HE SAID HE HOPED THAT THE CONDEMNATION OF THE VIETNAMESE GOVERNMENT'S ACTIONS BY THE EEC: THE TOKYO SUMMIT: AND THE ASEAN COUNTRIES WOULD LEAD TO WORLD OPIONION MAKING THE VIETNAMESE AUTHORITIES CHANGE THEIR POLICIES.
HE ASKED FOR SUPPORT FOR A CONFERENCE TO BE CONVENCED BY THE UNITED NATIONS WHICH COULD LEAD TO THE ALLEVIATION OF THE SUFFERING AND SOLVE SOME OF THE PROBLEMS. LORD CARRINGTON SAID THAT ALTHOUGH HE COULD JUST SEE THE PROBLEM BEING SOLVED WITH THE PRESENT NUMBERS OF REFUGEES, IF THE NUMBERS WENT ON RISING IT WAS EXTREMELY DIFFICULT TO SEE HOW IT COULD BE SOLVED AT ALL. IF THE VIETNAMESE GOVERNMENT FEEL THAT THE PROBLEM CAN BE SOLVED WITH INCREASED NUMBERS, I'M SURE THEY ARE WRONG'', HE SAID. ASKED WHAT FURTHER
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/CONTRIBUMONS