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AN INTERNATIONAL DIPLOMATIC CAMPAIGN TO ENCOURAGE OTHER RESETTLEMENT COUNTRIES TO TAKE IN MORE VRS FROM HK.
HE SAID THAT BRITAIN HAD URGED THE VIETNAMESE GOVERNMENT TO TAKE
BACK ITS PEOPLE WHO HAD VOLUNTEERED TO GO HOME.
ACCORDING TO LORD GLENARTHUR, THE UNHCR AND THE VIETNAMESE AUTHORITIES WERE WORKING CLOSELY ON ARRANGEMENTS FOR VOLUNTARY REPATRIATION, HOPING THAT SUCH AN EXERCISE WOULD BE CARRIED OUT AS
SOON AS POSSIBLE.
SOME PAPERS NOTED THAT LORD GLENARTHUR DID NOT GIVE A DIRECT REPLY
TO A QUESTION ON WHETHER BRITAIN COULD GIVEN AN UNDERTAKING THAT THE
VR PROBLEM IN HK WOULD BE RESOLVED COMPLETELY BEFORE 1997.
HE WAS QUOTED AS SAYING THAT 1997 WAS A POINT IN THE FUTURE AND
WAS REALLY IRRELEVANT TO THIS PARTICULAR DISCUSSION. BUT THE
INTERNATIONAL CAMPAIGN THAT HAD BEEN MOUNTED WAS IMPORTANT.
TURNING TO THE QUESTION OF CONFIDENCE IN HK, LORD GLENARTHUR SAID THAT THE QUESTION OF CONFIDENCE IN HK WAS EXTREMELY IMPORTANT, ADDING THAT THERE HAD BEEN SO MANY ENCOURAGING ASPECTS OF THE WAY THE
CHINESE AUTHORITIES HAD APPROACHED THEIR RESPONSIBILITIES WITH THEIR
HALF OF THE SINO-BRITISH JOINT DECLARATION.
ON THE DRAFT BASIC LAW, LORD GLENARTHUR BELIEVED THAT THERE WOULD BE AMENDMENTS IN THE SECOND DRAFT. HE WAS QUOTED AS SAYING THAT THE
BRITISH GOVERNMENT WOULD STUDY THE NEXT DRAFT VERY CAREFULLY AND HOPED IT WOULD REFLECT THE PROVISIONS OF THE JOINT DECLARATION.
WHEN ASKED WHETHER THE BRITISH GOVERNMENT WOULD RECONSIDER ITS
POLICY ON THE RIGHT OF ABODE FOR HK PEOPLE IN THE UK AND FOLLOW THE EXAMPLE OF PORTUGAL WHICH EXTENDED CITIZENSHIP TO THE PEOPLE OF MACAU, THE FCO MINISTER REPLED THAT HE DID NOT THINK IT WAS CORRECT TO COMPARE THE PASSPORT ISSUE BETWEEN THE TWO COUNTRIES.
HE SAID HE REALLY SAW NO PROSPECT OF FURTHER CHANGES IN THE BRITISH
NATIONALITY ACT TO ALLOW HK PEOPLE WHO HAD BRITISH NATIONALITY THE RIGHT OF ABODE IN THE UK.
REACTIONS
CO-CONVENOR OF THE OMELCO SECURITY PANEL RITA FAN WELCOMED THE FINANCIAL COMMITMENTS FOR THE BOAT PEOPLE AS ANNOUNCED BY LORD GLENARTHUR, RADION-3 AND A NUMBER OF PAPERS REPORTED.
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