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MDHI 7214
IN INTRODUCING A SCREENING POLICY AS A FIRST STEP TOWARDS PUTTING THIS SOLUTION INTO EFFECT. OUR LEAD HAS BEEN FOLLOWED ELSEWHERE IN SOUTH-EAST ASIA, AND MOST RECENTLY BY JAPAN AS WELL.
21. THE GENEVA CONFERENCE IN JUNE ENDORSED OUR POLICY OF SCREENING AND AGREED ON PRINCIPLES FOR THE REPATRIATION OF NON-REFUGEES. BUT IT DID NOT TAKE THE ESSENTIAL NEXT STEP OF ENDORSING THE REPATRIATION OF ALL THOSE SCREENED OUT AS NON-REFUGEES. IN EFFECT IT ASKED US TO MAKE FURTHER EFFORTS TO ENCOURAGE THESE PEOPLE TO RETURN HOME VOLUNTARILY. WE HAVE TRIED THIS AND WILL CONTINUE TO DO SO. THE MORE PEOPLE WHO VOLUNTEER TO RETURN HOME TO VIETNAM THE BETTER. BUT THE NUMBER OF PEOPLE WILLING TO VOLUNTEER IS LIMITED. SINCE NOVEMBER LAST YEAR, ONLY OPEN SQUARE BRACKETS 260 CLOSE SQUARE BRACKETS VIETNAMESE HAVE ACTUALLY RETURNED TO THEIR HOMELAND. VOLUNTARY REPATRIATION ALONE IS CLEARLY NOT THE ANSWER.
22. AT THE INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE IN JUNE, I WARNED THAT IF PROPER ARRANGEMENTS CANNOT BE MADE TO RETURN HOME THOSE FOUND NOT TO BE REFUGEES, HONG KONG COULD NOT CONTINUE INDEFINITELY TO PLAY ITS PART BY PROVIDING FIRST ASYLUM. BUT WE MUST NOT DECEIVE OURSELVES INTO THINKING THAT ABANDONING THIS PRINCIPLE IS AN EASY OR COST FREE OPTION. WE WOULD HAVE TO FACE THE HARD CHOICE OF WHAT TO DO IF FUTURE ARRIVALS SANK THEIR BOATS WHEN THEY WERE REFUSED PERMISSION TO LAND HERE. WOULD WE, AS A COMMUNITY, BE WILLING TO SEE PEOPLE DROWN ? SURELY NOT. WE WOULD ALSO HAVE TO FACE AN INTERNATIONAL OUTCRY WHICH WOULD PUT AT RISK OUR PROSPECTS FOR RESETTLING THE OPEN SQUARE BRACKETS 13,000 CLOSE SQUARE BRACKETS REFUGEES NOW IN HONG KONG, AND WHICH WOULD ALSO AFFECT INTERNATIONAL ATTITUDES TOWARDS HONG KONG IN OTHER AREAS, SUCH AS TRADE, WHERE WE HAVE IMPORTANT INTERESTS.
23. I REMAIN CONVINCED THAT THE POLICY WE HAVE AOPTED IS THE RIGHT ONE, AND THAT IT WILL EVENTUALLY BEAR FRUIT. AT THE STEERING COMMITTEE MEETING IN GENEVA NEXT WEEK, WE WILL BE MAKING VERY STRONGLY THE POINT THAT SCREENING AND REPATRIATION ARE INSEPARABLE. IT IS ONLY BY INTRODUCING A SCHEME FOR ORDERLY RETURN THAT WE WILL SOLVE THE PROBLEM OF DISORDERLY ARRIVALS. THE THOUSANDS THAT ARE BEING SCREENED OUT AS NON-REFUGEES MUST GO BACK TO THEIR HOMES IN VIETNAM. IT IS ONLY BY FINDING A WAY TO RETURN NON-REFUGEES THAT WE CAN DO ANYTING FOR THOSE WHO ARE GENUINE REFUGEES. WE ARE DETERMINED TO PUT IN PLACE SATISFACTORY ARRANGEMENTS FOR BOTH RESETTLEMENT AND REPATRIATION. IN THE MEANTIME, I CALL UPON ALL MEMBERS OF OUR COMMUNITY TO HAVE PATIENCE, AND TO REMEMBER THAT THE VIETNAMESE ARE FELLOW HUMAN
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