PETERAN SUNNAHARISHTHANDRANILHENRIKALNOWALIKASANE SA SLAPERETTA MASHIBE

74

countries of resettlement.

half

Many people in our camps have

Three and a waited years in the hope of being resettled. 3 thousand housand refugees from Vietnam have been here for more than

years.

$ five

149.

a

The Government of Vietnam bear a heavy

responsibility for this continuing exodus of despair which affects not just us but so all the countries of South East Asia. We need a long term solution which

deals with the problem at its source. But this can only

be achieved by

co-operative a

effort by

number of

countries. It certainly cannot be solved by Hong Kong

alone.

It also requires the cooperation of the

authorities in Vietnam itself. So far the Government of

Vietnam have said no more than that they are prepared to

consider repatriation on

case by case basis.

Experience has shown that this is a very restrictive definition. I can assure Honourable Members that we, and the British Government, will continue to seek a solution to this problem which has been with us for far too long. But I am afraid that it will require a great deal of time

and patient diplomacy before we can expect to

to achieve

a

hon.

results.

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