WEDNESDAY, MAY 15, 1985 ·
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CLOSED CAMPS ACHIEVE OBJECTIVE
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WITH THE WISDOM OF HINDSIGHT WE CAN SAY THAT THE OBJECTIVE OF THE CLOSED CAMPS FOR VIETNAMESE REFUGEES - ALTHOUGH BY NO MEANS A PLEASANT ONE, BUT DEFINITELY A NECESSARY ONE HAS BEEN ACHIEVED.
THIS WAS THE VIEW OF THE HON SELINA CHOW, WHO SPOKE IN TODAY'S (WEDNESDAY'S) ADJOURNMENT DEBATE ON THE VIETNAMESE REFUGEE PROBLEM IN HONG KONG.
SHE SAID TWO MONTHS AFTER THE ADOPTION OF THE CLOSED CAMP POLICY IN 1982, WHICH WAS THE TIME ESTIMATED FOR THE NEWS TO GET BACK TO VIETNAM, THE NUMBER OF MONTHLY ARRIVALS DROPPED QUITE DRAMATICALLY.
FOR THE LAST FOUR MONTHS OF 1982, TOTAL ARRIVALS NUMBERED ONLY HALF THOSE OF THE SAME PERIOD THE PREVIOUS YEAR.
IN 1983, TOTAL ARRIVALS WERE LESS THAN HALF OF 1982, AND IN 1984 THE TOTAL WAS 60 PER CENT OF THAT OF 1983.
+THE CLOSED CAMPS ARE PART AND PARCEL OF MEASURES NECESSARY TO CURB THE AGGRAVATION OF AN INTERNATIONAL PROBLEM,+ MRS CHOW SAID.
+UNLESS AND UNTIL THE WORLD CAN HELP US SEE THE END OF THE TUNNEL HONG KONG CANNOT AFFORD TO ACT OTHERWISE.+
SHE SAID IN THE FACE OF THE ONLY REALISTIC OPTIONS OPEN TO HONG KONG: TO REPATRIATE THEM, TO TURN THEM AWAY, AND OFFER ASYLUM IN THE CLOSED CAMPS, THE LAST WAS CERTAINLY THE LEAST INHUMANE.
TAKE MORE REFUGEES AS MATTER OF POLICY, UK TOLD
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STATEMENTS IN A REPORT ISSUED LAST MONTH BY THE HOUSE OF COMMONS HOME AFFAIRS SELECT COMMITTEE ON VIETNAMESE REFUGEES IN HONG KONG WERE DESCRIBED AS +NOBLE+ BY DR THE HON HENRIETTA IP TODAY (WEDNESDAY).
SPEAKING IN THE ADJOURNMENT DEBATE ON THE PROBLEM OF VIETNAMESE REFUGEES IN HONG KONG, SHE SAID IT WAS VERY NOBLE FOR THE COMMITTEE TO RECOMMEND THAT BRITAIN SHOULD RELAX ITS FAMILY REUNION CRITERIA SO AS TO ATTRACT OFFERS OF ADDITIONAL RESETTLEMENT PLACES FROM OTHER COUNTRIES: THAT NEGOTIATIONS SHOULD BE HELD TO REDUCE DRASTICALLY THE SIZE OF HONG KONG'S VIETNAMESE REFUGEE POPULATION; AND THAT AS PART OF A BURDEN- SHARING AGREEMENT BRITAIN SHOULD ACCEPT A SMALL SHARE OF THOSE WHO WERE HARD TO RESETTLE.
/+BRITAIN SHOULD
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