RESTRICTED
052622
MDHIAN 6876
RESTRICTED
FM HONG KONG
TO IMMEDIATE FCO
TELNO 3950
OF 301132Z NOVEMBER 89
INFO IMMEDIATE UKMIS GENEVA, HANOI, WASHINGTON, INFO IMMEDIATE HONG KONG
INFO PRIORITY PEKING
GOVERNMENT OFFICE LONDON
INFO ROUTINE UKREP JLG HONG KONG
VIETNAMESE BOAT PEOPLE : DEBATE IN LEGCO
1. THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL DEBATED THE FOLLOWING MOTION ON 29
NOVEMBER :
''THIS COUNCIL URGES HER MAJESTY'S GOVERNMENT TO SECURE AS SOON AS POSSIBLE, WHETHER THROUGH THE FULL IMPLEMENTATION OF THE COMPREHENSIVE PLAN OF ACTION AGREED AT GENEVA IN JUNE THIS YEAR OR THROUGH BILATED AGREEMENT WITH THE VIETNAMESE GOVERNMENT, THE URGENT MANDATORY REPATRIATION FROM HONG KONG TO VIETNAM OF ALL VIETNAMESE BOAT PEOPLE CLASSIFIED AS NON-REFUGEES.''
2. THE MOTION WAS CARRIED WITH 45 MEMBERS IN FAVOUR, THREE AGAINST AND FOUR OBSTENTIONS. 25 MEMBERS SPOKE DURING THE DEBATE. THE GENERAL VIEW WAS THAT THE GOVERNMENT SHOULD BE GIVEN AN OPPORTUNITY TO IMPLEMENT THE MANDATORY REPATRIATION PROGRAMME: BUT IT WAS APPARENT THAT MANY WERE DOUBTFUL ABOUT WHETHER THIS WOULD BE SUFFICIENT TO PREVENT A MAJOR INFLUX OF VBP IN 1990. SOME MEMBERS (FOR EXAMPLE MRS ELSIE TU, POON CHI FAI AND JAMES TIEN) VOTED FOR THE MOTION BUT MADE IT CLEAR THAT THEY CONSIDERED MANDATORY REPATRIATION TO BE AN INSUFFICIENT SOLUTION. THE MESSAGE FROM THESE AND SEVEN OTHER MEMBERS WAS THAT TO BRING THE SITUATION UNDER CONTROL THE FIRST ASYLUM POLICY SHOULD BE ENDED.
3. PREDICTABLY, A NUMBER OF SPEAKERS CRITISED HMG FOR NOT DOING MORE TO ASSIST HONG KONG. SEVERAL SPEAKERS WERE CRITICAL OF THE INTERNATIONAL COMMUNITY FOR FAILING TO IMPLEMENT THE COMMITMENTS IN THE CPA.
4. IN REPLY, THE SECRETARY FOR SECURITY SAID THAT THE GOVERNMENT HAD TWO MAIN OBJECTIVES : TO RESETTLE REFUGEES AND TO REPATRIATE NON-REFUGEES. WITH THE SUPPORT OF HMG THE HONG KONG GOVERNMENT WAS WORKING TOWARDS THE FULL IMPLEMENTATION OF THE CPA. WE BELIEVED
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