UNCLASSIFIED
75
043172
MDHIAN 9294
UNCLASSIFIED
FM HONG KONG
TO IMMEDIATE FCO
TELNO 3367
OF 1107OOZ OCTOBER 89
НКВ
011 15
TOP CO Q DIST>
INFO IMMEDIATE UKMIS GENEVA, WASHINGTON, OTTAWA, CANBERRA, HANOI INFO IMMEDIATE TOKYO, BANGKOK, BANDAR SERI BEGAWAN, JAKARTA INFO IMMEDIATE KUALA LUMPUR, MANILA, SINGAPORE
MY LEGCO ADDRESS: VIETNAMESE BOAT PEOPLE
THE FOLLOWING IS AN EXTRACT ON VIETNAMESE BOAT PEOPLE FROM THE OPENING ADDRESS I SHALL GIVE AT 2.30 PM HONG KONG TIME TODAY AT THE START OF THE NEW SESSION OF THE HONG KONG LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL
(D) 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, SOME 34,000 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 ARRIVIALS FROM VIETNAM.
20. THOSE WHO COME HERE DONOT 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 PER CENT OF THE VIETNAMESE NOW ARRIVING IN HONG KONG DO NOT MEET UNITED STATES RESETTLEMENT CRITERIA.
21. DURING THE PAST YEAR, THE GOVERNMENT HAS STRONGLY AND CONSISTENTLY ARGUED THAT THE ONLY SOLUTION TO THIS HUMAN TRAGEDY
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