9. ON UNHCR'S POINT VI ABOUT HELP FOR PERMANENT ACCOMMODATION IN RETURN FOR HONG KONG ACCEPTING MORE LOCAL RESETTLEMENT, THE GOVERNOR
SAID THERE WOULD BE RESENTMENT OF ANY APPARENT JUMPING OF
THE HOUSING QUEUE BY REFUGEES WHEN SO MANY HONG KONG CITIZENS
HAD FOR LONG LIVED IN POOR TEMPORARY LODGINGS. IF HONG KONG EVENTUALLY ACCEPTED MORE PEOPLE FOR RESETTLEMENT, HOUSING COULD BE PROVIDED BUT THOSE CONCERNED WOULD HAVE TO TAKE THEIR PLACE IN THE QUEUE. A CONTRIBUTION IN THIS CONTEXT TO HONG KONG FINANCES WOULD OF COURSE BE WELCOME.
10. HARTLING SAID HE WOULD GIVE CAREFUL CONSIDERATION TO WHAT THE GOVERNOR HAD PROPOSED ABOUT CARE AND MAINTENANCE. THE GOVERNOR SAID THAT IN ORDER TO HAVE THE SUPPORT OF HIS EXECUTIVE AND LEGISLATIVE COUNCILS HE WOULD HAVE TO DEMONSTRATE THAT BURDENS
AND BENEFITS WERE FAIRLY SHARED IN THE SOUTH EAST ASIA REGION. IF THE HONG KONG PEOPLE THOWTH THAT INHUMANE BEHAVIOUR WAS BEING REWARDED WITH MORE MONEY AND MORE RESETTLEMENT PLACES THERE COULD BE A VERY SERIOUS SITUATION IN HONG KONG WITH RIOTING OR WORSE. HARTLING CONCEDED THAT CRUEL ACTIONS SUCH AS THE REFUSAL TO ALLOW THE HAI HONG TO LAND HAD HITHERTO PRODUCED FAVOURABLE
SONSES FROM THE INTERNATIONAL COMMUNITY. HE ALSO AGREED THAT
REWARDING TH UMANITY WAS QUITE UN ACCEPTABLE.
11. THE GOVERNOR MADE A DISTINCTION BETWEEN THE PRE-UN CONFERENCE POSITION ON WHICH THE LATEST UNHCR PROPOSAL HAD BEEN BASED AND THE POST-CONFERENCE POSITION WHEN IT WAS TO BE HOPED THAT PLEDGES OF PLACES AND FINANCE WOULD BE DOUBLED. INSTEAD OF A ONCE FOR ALL CONTRIBUTION FROM UNHCR HONG KONG NEEDED ASSURANCES OVER A THREE TO FOUR YEAR PERIOD UNTIL THE WHOLE PROBLEM WAS SOLVED. THE PROBLEM WAS FINITE AND PERHAPS NOT MORE THAN A FURTHER 600,000 WERE LIKELY TO REACH SAFETY FROM VIETNAM.
12. HARTLING AGREED THAT THER MIGHT BE MORE TO OFFER AFTER THE CONFERENCE. BUT CONFERENCES OFTEN PRODUCED MORE WORDS THAN PLEDGES AND HE COULD ONLY PLAN ON THE BASIS OF THE FACTS AS THEY ARE NOW. HE REFERRED TO THE INDICATIVE TARGETS THAT HE HAD GIVEN GOVERNMENTS. IN A REPLY TO A QUESTION HE SAID THAT IT WAS ONLY TO ME THAT HE HAD MENTIONED THE TARGET FIGURE OF A FURTHER 10,000 RESETTLEMENT PLACES IN HONG KONG. HE WAS NOT EVEN TELLING WALDHEIM OF THE INDICATIVE NUMBERS WHICH HE WAS GIVING TO THE GOVERNMENTS HE WAS CONSULTING.
13. THE GOVERNOR REITERATED THAT THE RELUCTANT HOST GOVERNMENTS OF THE REGION HAD TO BE ASSURED OF COMPLETE RELIEF IN A FORESEEABLE FUTURE. A ONE-YEAR PROGRAMME WOULD NOT MEET THIS.