UNCLASSIFIED
100363
MDHIAN 3700
I HAD, OF COURSE, BEEN EXTENSIVELY BRIEFED ABOUT HONG KONG BEFORE I CAME HERE BUT THERE IS NO SUBSTITUTE FOR SEEING THINGS FOR YOURSELF. THE SPLENDID PROGRAMME WHICH THE HONG KONG GOVERNMENT HAS ARRANGED FOR ME OVER THE PAST THREE DAYS HAS CERTAINLY ENABLED ME TO DO THAT.
AND I HAVE BEEN IMMENSELY IMPRESSED WITH WHAT I HAVE SEEN
OF ABOVE ALL BY THE SHEER PACE
SEMI- PHYSICAL CHANGE IN HONG KONG COLON AND BY THE RAPIDLY IMPROVING QUALITY OF LIFE SEMI-COLON BY THE VITALITY AND ENTERPRISE OF HONG KONG PEOPLE
THEIR SEMI-COLON AND BY POSITIVE APPROACH TO THE CHANGES CONFRONTING THEM.
ON
AS YOU WILL IMAGINE, LADIES AND GENTLEMEN, MANY ISSUES HAVE BEEN RAISED WITH ME DURING MY VARIOUS DISCUSSIONS. I SHOULD LIKE TO SAY A WORD ABOUT THREE OF THEM. FIRST THERE
OF IS THE REVIEW
REPRESENTATIVE GOVERNMENT. THE PERIOD OF PUBLIC CONSULTATION THE GREEN PAPER WILL SHORTLY COME TO AN END AND THE SURVEY OFFICE WILL PRODUCE ITS REPORT IT WOULD BE WRONG FOR ME TO TRY TO FORECAST THE CONTENTS OF THAT REPORT OR TO PRE-JUDGE THE OUTCOME OF THE REVIEW AS A WHOLE. I WOULD SIMPLY LIKE TO STATE ONCE MORE THAT THE REVIEW IS GENUINE SEMI-COLON NO DECISIONS CAN OR WILL BE TAKEN UNTIL THE REVIEW PROCESS IS COMPLETE. WHEN DECISIONS ARE TAKEN FULL WEIGHT WILL BE GIVEN TO THE VIEWS OF HONG KONG PEOPLE.
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SECONDLY THERE IS THE QUESTION OF
I
VIETNAMESE REFUGEES. . AM ACUTELY AWARE OF THE PROBLEMS WHICH HONG KONG FACES OVER
I HAVE DISCUSSED THESE THE CONTINUING INFLUX OF PEOPLE FROM VIETNAM. PROBLEMS WITH THE GOVERNOR, THE EXECUTIVE COUNCIL AND WITH OMELCO MEMBERS. ALL HAVE IMPRESSED ON ME THE SERIOUSNESS OF ON HONG KONG.
THE PRESSURE
I HAVE ALSO TAKEN THE OPPORTUNITY OF THE VISIT HERE FIRST HAND VIEWS. OF THE BRITISH AMBASSADOR TO HANOI TO OBTAIN HIS
I WANT TO THIS MORNING I VISITED TWO VIETNAMESE REFUGEE CAMPS.
EVERYTHING WE ASSURE YOU THAT THE BRITISH GOVERNMENT ARE DOING REALISTICALLY CAN TO ASSIST HONG KONG FIND SOLUTIONS TO THESE VERY SERIOUS PROBLEMS.
FIRSTLY, WE ARE ACTIVELY ENGAGED IN TRYING TO FIND RESETTLEMENT
WE HAVE TAKEN NEARLY OPPORTUNITIES FOR REFUGEES NOW IN HONG KONG. 13,000 REFUGEES FROM HONG KONG OURSELVES IN THE PAST 12 YEARS SEMI- COLON AND WE ANNOUNCED A FURTHER QUOTA OF OVER 450 EARLIER THIS YEAR. WE ARE VIGOROUSLY ENCOURAGING OTHER RESETTLEMENT COUNTRIES TO TAKE MORE.
SECONDLY, WE RECOGNISE THAT RESETTLEMENT ALONE IS NOT THE ANSWER. WE ARE WORKING IN CLOSE CONCERT WITH UNHCR AND WITH OTHER RESETTLEMENT COUNTRIES TO FIND LASTING AND PERMANENT SOLUTION TO
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