HONG KONG LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL
5 July 1989
2107
abject poverty. For the sake of solving the Vietnamese boat people problem, I would like to put forth the following suggestions once again:
1.
The status of Hong Kong as a port of first asylum should be abolished;
2.
3.
A.
Britain should assume full responsibility for solving the problem of Vietnamese boat people and refugees stranded in Hong Kong;
The Hong Kong Government should immediately cease to allocate funds for any boat people related expenses; all expenditures on Vietnamese boat people should be fully borne by the British Government or the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees;
The British Government should urge the international community to exercise pressure on the Vietnamese Government. In particular, the British Government should seek the co-operation of the United States impressing upon the Vietnamese Government for immediate actions to stop exporting boat people and undertake to take back all boat people stranded in Hong Kong.
A speedy solution to these two major issues which are worrying to the people of Hong Kong would certainly help boost the confidence of Hong Kong people and strengthen their sense of belonging. This will enable the Pearl of Orient to recover its lustre and continue to flourish.
Sir, with these remarks, I support the motion.
MRS. SO (in Cantonese): Sir, the Foreign Affairs Committee has, in its report, dwelt on the issue of the Vietnamese boat people. Over the past decade Hong Kong has been afflicted with the Vietnamese boat people issue. The situation has grown from bad to worse since the turn of 1989. As at last month the total number of Vietnamese boat people and refugees stranded in Hong Kong was over 48 000. Over 20 000 Vietnamese boat people flooded into Hong Kong during the first half of this year alone, representing almost 50% of the total population of Vietnamese boat people in the territory. The existing holding centres can no longer cope with boat people's demands for dwelling places. Provisional detention centres have been set up on Soko Islands and Sek Kong to provide accommodation for the incessant influx of these boat people. It has been planned recently to set up another detention centre near High Island Reservoir in Sai Kung to meet future demands.
The Vietnamese boat people problem has put a heavy burden on Hong Kong in terms of expenditure and the allocation of management staff. The environmental nuisance posed by the detention centres also caused resentment among local residents. If the Vietnamese boat people problem cannot be satisfactorily resolved, further disaffection will be aroused among members of the public and even actions that disrupt social order may follow.