WEDNESDAY, MAY 15, 1985
10
LOGICAL FOR UK TO HELP SOLVE PROBLEM
******
IT IS LOGICAL THAT BRITAIN SHOULD TAKE THE INITIATIVE TO HELP HONG KONG SETTLE ITS VIETNAMESE REFUGEE PROBLEM, THE HON MES RITA FAN SAID IN THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL TODAY (WEDNESDAY).
SPEAKING DURING AN ADJOURNMENT DEBATE ON THE REFUGEES, MRS FAN SAID IN 1984 A LARGE COUNTRY LIKE BRITAIN ONLY ACCEPTED 86 REFUGEES FROM HONG KONG, OF WHOM OVER 20 WERE SHIP-RESCUED CASES.
+ BRITAIN'S INTAKE OF REFUGEES FROM HONG KONG IN THE LAST THREE YEARS AMOUNTS TO ONLY 2.5 PER CENT OF THE RESETTLED REFUGEES,+ SHE SAID.
+WITH THIS LEVEL OF HELP FROM BRITAIN, WHAT CHANCES HAVE WE GOT TO CONVINCE OTHER COUNTRIES TO TAKE IN MORE REFUGEES FROM HONG KONG?+
MRS FAN SAID THE STRINGENT POLICY PRACTISED BY THE HOME OFFICE IN BRITAIN EVEN BARRED FAMILY REUNION OF REFUGEES WITH CLOSE RELATIVES RESIDING IN BRITAIN.
SHE THEREFORE WELCOMED THE RECOMMENDATION IN THE RECENT REPORT OF THE HOME AFFAIRS COMMITTEE THAT BRITAIN SHOULD RELAX ITS FAMILY REUNION CRITERIA.
INDEED, BRITAIN SHOULD AT LEAST FOLLOW THE EXAMPLES OF THE TWO COMMONWEALTH COUNTRIES, AUSTRALIA AND CANADA, WHICH ACCEPTED 20 PER CENT AND 27 PER CENT RESPECTIVELY OF THE REFUGEES FROM HONG KONG IN 1984.
SHORT OF A RENEWED COMMITMENT BY BRITAIN WE COULD NOT EXPECT OTHER COUNTRIES TO TAKE UP A MORE SUBSTANTIAL BURDEN THAN THEY HAD ALREADY DONE.
LEAD.
IT WAS THEREFORE IMPERATIVE THAT BRITAIN SHOULD TAKE THE
IF BRITAIN COULD NOT TAKE UP THIS RESPONSIBILITY THERE WOULD BE MORE FRUSTRATED, BITTER AND HARD-CORE REFUGEES IN HONG KONG AND THE PEOPLE HERE WOULD HAVE TO LIVE WITH THE PROBLEM INDEFINITELY.
+WE HAVE ALWAYS BEEN WILLING TO HELP OTHERS IN NEED, + RS FAN SAID.
+HOWEVER, THERE IS A LIMIT TO PATIENCE AND UNDERSTANDING.
*WHEN THE THRESHOLD IS PASSED, IT IS ONLY NATURAL THAT HONG KONG PEOPLE WILL REQUEST MORE DRAMATIC MEASURES.
THERE APPEARED