CONFIDENTIAL
HK B
이
2011 /5
FM HONG KONG
TELNO 3192
TO DESKBY 26160OZ FCO
OF 26133OZ SEPTEMBER 89
52
*172775
MDHIAN 7221+4
TOP COPY Q DIST ?
MY 8TH IPT: MY ADDRESS TO THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL : 11 OCTOBER
DRAFT TEXT ON VIETNAMESE BOAT PEOPLE IS AS FOLLOWS:
VIETNAMESE BOAT PEOPLE
18. ANOTHER PROBLEM WHICH HAS BEEN MUCH ON THE MINDS OF ALL OF US THIS YEAR IS THE CONTINUING INFLOW OF BOAT PEOPLE FROM VIETNAM. SINCE MY ADDRESS TO THIS COUNCIL LAST OCTOBER, OVER OPEN SQUARE BRACKETS 33,000 CLOSE SQUARE BRACKETS VIETNAMESE HAVE ARRIVED IN THIS SMALL AND CROWDED TERRITORY. THIS IS THE HIGHEST NUMBER IN ANY YEAR SINCE 1979. THE STRAIN ON OUR RESOURCES, AND ON OUR PATIENCE AND COMPASSION, HAS BEEN ENORMOUS. BUT WE HAVE COPED. WE HAVE HOUSED, FED AND CARED FOR ALL THOSE WHO HAVE COME. WE HAVE TURNED NO-ONE AWAY. THIS IS SOMETHING OF WHICH WE CAN ALL BE PROUD.
19. MANY PEOPLE OUTSIDE HONG KONG DO NOT SEEM TO REALISE WHAT A BURDEN THE CONTINUING FLOW FROM VIETNAM CREATES FOR US. I MYSELF AM ONLY TOO CONSCIOUS THAT IT HAS SEVERELY STRAINED THE TOLERANCE OF OUR COMMUNITY. I SYMPATHISE WITH THOSE WHO ARGUE THAT WE HAVE NOW DONE ENOUGH. IT IS NOT BY CHOICE THAT THE GOVERNMENT SPENDS INCREASING AMOUNTS OF PUBLIC FUNDS, AND USES INCREASING AMOUNTS OF SCARCE LAND, ON HOUSING AND LOOKING AFTER A SEEMINGLY ENDLESS STREAM OF ARRIVALS FROM VIETNAM.
20. THOSE WHO COME HERE DO NOT SEEK A HOME IN HONG KONG. THEIR GOAL IS ELSEWHERE: IN PARTICULAR, THE UNITED STATES. BUT THEY HAVE LITTLE PROSPECT OF EVER GETTING THERE, OR ANYWHERE ELSE. OVER $80 PERCENT OF THE VIETNAMESE NOW ARRIVING IN HONG KONG DO NOT MEET UNITED STATES RESETTLEMENT CRITERIA. DURING THE PAST YEAR, THE GOVERNMENT HAS STRONGLY AND CONSISTENTLY ARGUED THAT THE ONLY SOLUTION TO THIS HUMAN TRAGEDY IS THAT THOSE WHO ARE DEFINED AS REFUGEES MUST BE RESETTLED OVERESEAS, AND THOSE WHO DO NOT MEET THESE CRITERIA MUST GO BACK TO VIETNAM. THIS IS A VIEW WHICH IS SHARED BY A NUMBER OF VOLUNTARY AGENCIES WHICH HAVE WORKED MOST CLOSELY WITH THE VIETNAMESE, INCLUDING OXFAM, SAVE THE CHILDREN FUND AND THE BRITISH REFUGEE COUNCIL. HONG KONG HAS TAKEN THE LEAD
1
PAGE
CONFIDENTIAL