WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 7, 1987
+ WOULD LIKE TO GIVE THE BRITISH GOVERNMENT OUR THANKS FOR THIS PARTICULARLY VALUABLE CONTRIBUTION WHICH HAD THIS PARTICULARLY VALUABLE CONSEQUENCE AS FAR AS RESETTLEMENT WAS CONCERNED LAST YEAR.
+AND I WOULD ALSO LIKE TO THANK, ON BEHALF OF THE HONG KONG GOVERNMENT, ALL THOSE RESETTLEMENT COUNTRIES THAT RESPONDED SO NOBLY AND, I MIGHT ADD, THE OFFICE OF THE UNITED NATIONS HIGH COMMISSION FOR REFUGEES HERE FOR THE VERY GREAT HELP IT GAVE US ALSO IN THIS CONTEXT.+
HOWEVER, HE SAID HE MUST AGREE THAT THE PROPECTS FOR 1987 DID NOT LOOK GOOD. BUT, GIVEN THE EXPERIENCE IN 1986, THERE WAS NO DOUBT THAT A GOOD EXAMPLE BY THE BRITISH GOVERNMENT WOULD TRIGGER OFF ANOTHER GOOD RESPONSE FROM THE OTHER RESETTLEMENT COUNTRIES.
REFERRING TO THE POSSIBILITY OF REPATRIATION, WHICH THE GOVERNMENT HAD BEEN PURSUING, MR JE AFFRESON SAID THIS WAS SEEN AS THE ONLY VIABLE LONG-TERM SOLUTION. BUT HE STRESSED THAT REPATRIATION MUST BE VOLUNTARY.
+ IN OTHER WORDS, THOSE WHO ARE ESTABLISHED AS NON-REFUGEES, MUST VOLUNTEER TO RETURN.+
MR JEAFFRESON SAID THE ADMINISTRATION APPRECIATED THE SUPPORT GIVEN BY MEMBERS, AND IT WOULD BE REPORTING ON WHAT THEY HAD SAID ON REPATRIATION TO LONDON.
+I CAN ASSURE MEMBERS THAT WE WILL BE CONSIDERING, OR IN MANY CASES RECONSIDERING, THE VARIOUS OTHER POINTS THEY HAVE RAISED, HE ADDED.
PROGRESS REPORT ON VIETNAMESE REFUGEES SOUGHT *****
THE HONG KONG GOVERNMENT HAS BEEN REQUESTED TO PROVIDE TO THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL WITHIN SIX MONTHS A REPORT ON THE PROGRESS OF A SEARCH FOR A DEFINITE SOLUTION TO THE PROBLEM OF VIETNAMESE REFUGEES.
THE REQUEST WAS MADE BY THE HON RITA FAN TODAY (WEDNESDAY) WHEN LEADING THE ADJOURNMENT DEBATE ON VIETNAMESE REFUGEES IN HER CAPACITY AS CONVENOR OF THE AD HOC GROUP ON THE SUBJECT.
MRS FAN SAID MEMBERS OF THE COUNCIL AND THE COMMUNITY AT LARGE HAD BEEN URGING FOR MORE POSITIVE MEASURES FOR SOME YEAR AND WERE DEEPLY DISAPPOINTED AT THE LACK OF POSITIVE ACTION AND SENSE OF URGENCY ON THE PART OF THE BRITISH GOVERNMENT.
/+WE REQUEST