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WEDNESDAY, MAY 15, 1985
+ BRITAIN SHOULD TAKE IN MORE REFUGEES AS A MATTER OF POLICY AND SPELL OUT THE IR NOBLE PROPOSALS INTO CONCRETE FIGURES,+ DR IP SAID.
IT IS TIME TO PUT THE MATTER TO THE TEST, SHE ADDED, QUOTING FROM THE REPORT.
+ I BELIEVE THAT SUCH A LEAD BY BRITAIN WOULD INDEED BE FOLLOWED BY THE MAJOR RESETTLEMENT COUNTRIES, SHE SAID.
THE UNITED STATES AND AUSTRALIA HAD INDICATED THAT THEY WOULD VIEW SUCH A LEAD POSITIVELY.
IT WAS REASSURING, DR IP CONTINUED, THAT THE HOME AFFAIRS COMMITTEE RECOGNISED THAT THE UNITED KINGDOM WAS RESPONSIBLE FOR HONG KONG, THAT OTHER COUNTRIES WERE RELUCTANT TO DO MORE TO HELP HONG KONG IN THE ABSENCE OF A FURTHER UNITED KINGDOM RESETTLEMENT EFFORT OR PROGRAMME, THAT HONG KONG, BEING DENSELY * POPULATED AND COPING WITH ITS OWN HALF A MILLION-ODD SQUATTERS
WITHOUT A PERMANENT SHELTER, HAD ALREADY ACCEPTED FOR PERMANENT RESETTLEMENT SOME 14 500 REFUGEES SINCE 1975, AND LASTLY THAT
INTEGRATION IN COUNTRIES OF FIRST ASYLUM OF WHICH HONG KONG WAS ONE WAS NOT A REALISTIC OPTION EXCEPT ON A SMALL SCALE.
+HAVING RECOGNISED ALL THESE, DOES THE HOME AFFAIRS COMMITTEE REALLY CONSIDER IT EQUITABLE AND POSSIBLE FOR HONG KONG TO ACCEPT ANY MORE REFUGEES FOR RESETTLEMENT OR TO DO AWAY WITH CLOSED CAMPS?+ DR IP ASKED.
SHE SUBMITTED THAT HONG KONG WAS ONE OF THE SIX SOUTHEAST ASIAN COUNTRIES OR TERRITORIES WHICH HAD TO COPE AND WAS STILL COPING WITH THE AFTERMATH OF A LARGE INFLUX OF REFUGEES.
LIKE THE OTHER FIVE COUNTRIES IN MANAGING THIS PROBLEM, HONG KONG NEEDED TO CONTINUE TO OPERATE THE CLOSED CAMPS ALTHOUGH WITH RELUCTANCE - UNTIL AND WHEN ALL SUCH REFUGEES WERE PROPERLY RESETTLED ELSEWHERE, HONG KONG DID NOT HAVE A BETTER ALTERNATIVE.
+RATHER THAN CRITICISE US FOR DOING THE BEST WE CAN WITH A PROBLEM THEY DO NOT HAVE TO FACE, OTHER COUNTRIES SHOULD BE MORE POSITIVE IN THEIR ASSISTANCE, SAID DR IP.
SHE REITERATED THAT HONG KONG HAD PLAYED A DUAL ROLE IN THE GLOBAL MANAGEMENT OF VIETNAMESE REFUGEES AND SHOULDERED MORE THAN ITS FAIR SHARE OF THE BURDEN.
+ IT IS NOW TIME FOR OTHER COUNTRIES TO DO A BIT MORE, + SHE SAID.
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