6. HONG KONG NOW HAS THE LARGEST POPULATION OF UNRESETTLED VIETNAMESE BOAT REFUGEES OF ANYWHERE IN THE REGION.
7. IT IS THUS OF VITAL IMPORTANCE TO US THAT COUNTRIES CONTINUE TO RESETTLE VIETNAMESE REFUGEES FROM HONG KONG IN APPRECIABLE NUMBERS. I HAVE MUCH SYMPATHY WITH THEIR PRESENT PLEAS THAT THEY HAVE SEVERE UNEMPLOYMENT AND THAT AT LEAST SOME HAVE ALREADY ABSORBED LARGE NUMBERS OF REFUGEES. BUT THE FACT IS THAT WE HAVE OUR PROBLEMS TOO - PROBLEMS OF SEVERE OVERCROWDING AND OF IMMIGRATION, AND ANOTHER POINT IS OFTEN OVERLOOKED. IN RECENT YEARS WE HAVE ABSORBED INTO OUR COMMUNITY AROUND 14,000 PEOPLE FROM VIETNAM, FOR OUR SIZE A REMARKABLE ACHIEVEMENT I SUGGEST UNPARALLELED ANYWHERE ELSE. I DO (NEXT WORD UNDERLINED) NOT THINK WE CAN REASONABLY BE EXPECTED TO ABSORB ANY MORE',
SUPPLEMENTARY TO QUESTION NO 10 IN THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL ON 19TH JANUARY 1983.
MISS DUNN:
SIR, GIVEN THE UNWILLINGNESS OF MAJOR WESTERN COUNTRIES TO RE-SETTLE VIETNAMESE REFUGEES, WILL THE GOVERNMENT CONSIDER REPATRIATING THESE PEOPLE BACK TO VIETNAM?
SECRETARY FOR SECURITY:
SIR, THIS IS A POSSIBILITY WE ARE NOW OBLIGED TO CONSIDER VERY SERIOUSLY.
MISS DUNN:
SIR, IS THE GOVERNMENT AWARD OF THE COMMUNITY'S CONCERN AT THE RELATIVELY FAVOURABLE TREATMENT ACCORDED VIETNAMESE REFUGEES, INASMUCH AS THEY (NEXT WORD UNDERLINED) ARE PERMITTED TO LAND AND TO STAY IN HONG KONG UNTIL THEY ARE RE-SETTLED?
GECRETARY FOR SECURITY:
YES, SIR, VERY MUCH SO.
REVD. JOYCE M. BENNETT:
SIR, WITH REFERENCE TO PARAGRAPH 6 AND THE COMMENT THAT CANADA WILL TAKE 1700 VIETNAMESE REFUGEES FRUM THAILAND, CAN WE BE GIVEN THE NUMBER OF VIETNAMESE BOAT REFUGEES IN SOME OF THE OTHER COUNTRIES, AND IS IT POSSIBLE FOR CANADA AND OTHER COUNTRIES IN THE COMMONWEALTH, SUCH AS AUSTRALIA, TO INCREASE THEIR INTAKE OF REFUGEES FROM HONG KONG?
SECRETARY FOR SECURITY:
SIR, I DID NOT HEAR MY HONOURABLE FRIEND'S QUESTION VERY CLEARLY, BUT IF SHE WAS ASKING HOW MANY REFUGEES COMMONWEALTH COUNTRIES HAVE TAKEN, I CAN CERTAINLY GIVE YOU THE FIGURES....
2.
RESTRICTED
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