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THURSDAY, NOVEMBJA 1, 1
+ IN OTHER WORDS, FOR $6 MILLION AT CURRENT PRICES, IT WOULD BE POSSIBLE TO RUN EIGHT LEGAL ADVICE BUREAUS AND OFFER LEGAL REPRESENTATION IN ALL THE EIGHT MAGISTRACIES IN HONG KONG TO ALL PEOPLE ARRESTED AND CHARGED WITH SCHEDULED OFFENCES. MANPOWER IS AVAILABLE AND THE ADMINISTRATOR IS CONFIDENT THAT HE HAS SUFFICIENT HUMAN RESOURCES AT HIS DISPOSAL TO COPE WITH THE EXPANSION, HE SAID.
HE FURTHER SUGGESTED THAT AT A LATER STAGE, THE RANGE OF FREE LEGAL ADVICE SHOULD BE BROADENED AND THE LIST OF SCHEDULED OFFENCES WHICH COULD BE TAKEN UP AT MAGISTRACIES LENGTHENED TO INCLUDE ALL OFFENCES OF DISHONESTY AND ALL OFFENCES AGAINST THE PERSON.
+ONLY THEN WILL GOVERNMENT BE ABLE TO CLAIM THE PROVISION OF AN INDEPENDENT AND COMPREHENSIVE LEGAL ASSISTANCE SERVICE FOR SERIOUS OFFENCES IN THE MAGISTRACIES, HE SAID.
REFERRING TO HIS OTHER PLEA FOR SPEEDY RESETTLEMENT OF REFUGEES, MR. WONG REPORTED THAT AT THE 15TH AUSTRALASIAN REGIONAL CONFERENCE OF THE COMMONWEALTH PARLIAMENTARY ASSOCIATION WHICH HE RECENTLY ATTENDED AT PERTH, A MOTION WAS UNANIMOUSLY CARRIED TO CONGRATULATE THE HONG KONG GOVERNMENT ON THE MAGNIFICENT HUMANITARIAN JOB IT WAS DOING.
+WHILE WE ARE PLEASED TO RECEIVE SUCH CONGRATULATIONS, THE MAIN REQUIREMENT FOR HONG KONG IS AN INCREASE IN RESETTLEMENT PLACES. HONG KONG NOW HAS THE LARGEST NUMBER OF BOAT REFUGEES IN THE WHOLE OF SOUTHEAST ASIA, WHILST ITS RATE OF RESETTLEMENT IS STILL AMONGST THE LOWEST, HE SAID.
HE EXPLAINED DEPARTURES FROM HONG KONG AS A PERCENTAGE OF ARRIVALS IN 1979 WAS 18 PER CENT, YET IN THE CASE OF MALAYSIA FOR EXAMPLE, IT WAS 100 PER CENT. EVEN TAKING INTO ACCOUNT THE FACT THAT MALAYSIA HAD NEARLY 50 000 BOAT PEOPLE AND HONG KONG ONLY 5 400 AT THE BEGINNING OF THIS YEAR, DEPARTURES IN 1979 SHOW THAT ONLY 17 PER CENT OF THE TOTAL ARRIVED HAVE DEPARTED FROM HONG KONG COMPARED WITH 54 PER CENT IN MALAYSIA AND 36 PER CENT IN THE PHILIPPINES.
MR. WONG THEREFORE CALLED UPON THE DEVELOPED COUNTRIES. ESPECIALLY THOSE IN THE COMMONWEALTH, TO OFFER MORE PLACES TO THOSE IN HONG KONG.
WORLD LEADERS MUST ACCEPT THAT THE REFUGEE PROBLEM IS A WORLD PROBLEM AND ACCEPT RESPONSIBILITY FOR THE IR SPEEDY RESETTLEMENT.
+ IT IS THE ACCEPTING OF THIS RESPONSIBILITY THAT WILL GIVE CREDENCE TO THE IR PROFESSED CONCERN. IF THEY DID, AND INDEED THEY MUST, IT WOULD GO DOWN IN HISTROY AS ONE OF THE FINEST MANIFESTATIONS OF HUMANITY, HE SAID.
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