MONDAY, MAY 13, 1985
UK URGED TO TAKE MORE VIETNAMESE REFUGEES
******
THE UNITED NATIONS HIGH COMMISSIONER FOR REFUGEES, MR POUL HARTLING, SAID TODAY (MONDAY) HE HOPED THE UNITED KINGDOM WOULD TAKE THE INITIATIVE TO ACCEPT MORE VIETNAMESE REFUGEES FROM HONG KONG BECAUSE THAT MIGHT ENCOURAGE OTHER RESETTLEMENT COUNTRIES TO ACCEPT MORE ALSO.
MR HARTLING WAS TALKING TO REPORTERS AFTER TOURING THE
BOWRING CLOSED CENTRE FOR REFUGEES IN TUEN MUN.
HE SAID HE WOULD BE HOLDING DISCUSSIONS WITH HONG KONG GOVERNMENT OFFICIALS ON THE CONCEPT OF CLOSED CAMPS AS WELL AS WAYS TO SPEED UP THE RESETTLEMENT PROGRAMME.
+WE WILL DO WHAT WE CAN WITH THAT BECAUSE THAT IS IN THE HANDS OF THE RESETTLEMENT COUNTRIES, HE SAID.
ON HIS VISIT TO THE BOWRING CLOSED CENTRE THIS MORNING, HARTLING POINTED OUT THAT HE DID NOT LIKE THE IDEA OF CLOSED CAMPS.
I THINK THE HONG KONG AUTHORITIES ALSO DID NOT LIKE THE IDEA OF CLOSED CAMPS, HE SAID.
MR
+BUT INSIDE, I FOUND THE CIRCUMSTANCES, THE CONDITIONS VERY ENCOURAGING,
+1 ALWAYS LOOK AT THE CHILDREN, HE SAID. + CAN TELL YOU THAT WE HAVE 10 MILLION REFUGEES IN THE WORLD, HALF OF THEM ARE CHILDREN.
MR HARTLING TOLD REPORTERS THAT IF THEY WENT AND SAW THE REFUGEE CHILDREN IN OTHER COUNTRIES, THEY WOULD FIND SOME OF THEM STARVING, SICK, DESTITUTE, AND WITH TEARS IN THEIR EYES.
+NOW LOOK AT THE CHILDREN HERE. YOU HAVE SEEN THEM YOURSELVES, + HE SAID.
+1 WAS ENCOURAGED TO SEE THAT, AND I THINK BOTH THE AUTHORITIES HERE AND THE VOLUNTARY AGENCIES ARE DOING A VERY GOOD JOB AND FOR THAT I AM VERY GRATEFUL.+
IN REPLY TO A QUESTION ON WHETHER THE SPEEDIER RESETTLEMENT OF REFUGEES WOULD ENCOURAGE MORE TO COME HERE. MR HARTLING SAID HE DID NOT THINK A +PULL FACTOR+ WOULD BE CREATED BY FASTER RESETTLEMENT.
:
+IN 2:3