The
Canada has just announced, and by the resettlement programme
which the United Kingdom and others have undertaken.
pledges of these new resettlement places and new money to
finance the programme offer new hope to Hong Kong.
The people of
But sadly there are other emotions.
Hong Kong ask why proportionately more resettlement places
are given to other places of first asylum. This year 35%
of the boat refugees in the region came to Hong Kong, but
it only received 13% of the resettlement places. Or putting
it differently, 66,000 arrived this year, but only
5 thousand have been resettled.
place of first asylum is unique.
Hong Kong's record as a
But on past experience you
cannot blame people in Hong Kong for drawing the conclusion
that help would be greater if policies were harsher. Nor
can you blame those who apply harsher policies for concluding
that they have paid off.
Mr Secretary General [Mr Chairman], humanity is not
only for those who receive refugees. It is also for those
who create conditions under which people become refugees.
I am surprised that there can be any doubt about why
ABOUT
refugees leave Vietnam or the arrangements under which they
leave. We have 66,000 witnesses in Hong Kong. Their
stories are clear. The problems of the region cannot be
solved until the flood of refugees is stopped, and stopped
humanely. I have no doubt that this can be done and
maintained if the will to do it is there.
/Mr Secretary
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