SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 19, 1987
SECONDLY, THERE IS THE QUESTION OF VIETNAMESE REFUGEES.
YOU
CAN
I AM ACUTELY AWARE OF THE PROBLEMS WHICH HONG KONG FACES OVER THE CONTINUING INFLUX OF PEOPLE FROM VIETNAM. I HAVE DISCUSSED THESE PROBLEMS WITH THE GOVERNOR, THE EXECUTIVE COUNCIL AND WITH OMELCO MEMBERS. ALL HAVE IMPRESSED ON ME THE SERIOUSNESS OF THE PRESSURE ON HONG KONG. I HAVE ALSO TAKEN THE OPPORTUNITY OF THE VISIT HERE OF THE BRITISH AMBASSADOR TO HANOI TO OBTAIN HIS FIRST HAND VIEWS. THIS MORNING I VISITED TWO VIETNAMESE REFUGEE CAMPS. I WANT TO ASSURE THAT THE BRITISH GOVERNMENT ARE DOING EVERYTHING WE REALISTICALLY TO ASSIST HONG KONG FIND SOLUTIONS TO THESE VERY SERIOUS PROBLEMS.
FIRSTLY, WE ARE ACTIVELY ENGAGED IN TRYING TO RESETTLEMENT OPPORTUNITIES FOR REFUGEES NOW IN HONG KONG. WE HAVE TAKEN NEARLY 13,000 REFUGEES FROM HONG KONG OURSELVES IN THE PAST 12 YEARS; AND WE ANNOUNCED A FURTHER QUOTA OF OVER 450 EARLIER THIS YEAR. WE ARE VIGOROUSLY ENCOURAGING OTHER RESETTLEMENT COUNTRIES ΤΟ TAKE MORE.
FIND
SECONDLY, WE RECOGNISE THAT' RESETTLEMENT ALONE IS NOT THE ANSWER. WE ARE WORKING IN CLOSE CONCERT WITH UNHCR AND WITH OTHER RESETTLEMENT COUNTRIES TO FIND A LASTING AND PERMANENT SOLUTION ΤΟ THE PROBLEM. IN RECENT MONTHS WE HAVE INTENSIFIED OUR CONTACTS WITH THE VIETNAMESE AUTHORITIES ON THIS ISSUE, AND MORE RECENTLY STILL HAVE DIRECTLY EXPLORED WITH THEM THE POSSIBILITY OF REPATRIATING REFUGEES FROM HONG KONG ON ACCEPTABLE CONDITIONS. BUT I HAVE ΤΟ SAY THAT THERE HAS SO FAR BEEN NO SIGN OF VIETNAMESE WILLINGNESS TO TAKE PEOPLE BACK EXCEPT ON A CASE BY GASE BASIS. WE SHALL CONTINUE OUR EFFORTS ON ALL THESE FRONTS, IN PARTICULAR, I HAVE INSTRUCTED OUR AMBASSADOR TO VIETNAM TO MAKE A FURTHER APPROACH TO THE VIETNAMESE GOVERNMENT WHEN HE RETURNS TO HANOI.
THE AND
A THIRD ISSUE WHICH HAS BEEN RAISED WITH ME FREQUENTLY IS QUESTION OF BN (0) PASSPORTS. AS YOU ALL KNOW, THE BN (0) STATUS PASSPORT IS DESIGNED ΤΟ LAST THROUGH AND BEYOND 1997. THE NEW PASSPORTS HAVE BEEN INTRODUCED NOW TO GIVE HONG KONG PEOPLE, AS WELL AS IMMIGRATION AUTHORITIES AROUND THE WORLD, PLENTY OF TIME TO GET USED TO THEM. I WANT TO STRESS THAT THE BRITISH GOVERNMENT MOUNTED A MAJOR DIPLOMATIC CAMPAIGN TO EXPLAIN TO OTHER GOVERNMENTS WHY THE NEW STATUS WAS BEING INTRODUCED AND THE SPECIAL FEATURES OF THE NEW PASSPORTS. THE RESPONSE HAS BEEN GOOD. NO GOVERNMENT HAS SAID IT WILL NOT ACCEPT THE PASSPORT AND I HAVE NOT HEARD OF A SINGLE CASE IN WHICH A HOLDER OF THE NEW PASSPORT HAS ENCOUNTERED PRACTICAL DIFFICULTIES FROM IMMIGRATION AUTHORITIES IN OTHER COUNTRIES. NATURALLY THERE HAVE BEEN A FEW TEETHING TROUBLES. WHERE THESE HAVE OCCURRED THE BRITISH GOVERNMENT HAVE ACTED PROMPTLY AND EFFECTIVELY TO OVERCOME THEM. WE WILL CONTINUE TO DO SO IF ANY NEW PROBLEMS SHOULD ARISE. I AM ABSOLUTELY CONFIDENT THAT THE NEW PASSPORT WILL. BE AS WIDELY ACCEPTED AS IS THE BDTC PASSPORT.
IN CONCLUSION LET ME SAY THAT IN ALL I HAVE SEEN Ι HAVE BEEN GREATLY IMPRESSED BY THE QUALITY AND DYNAMISM OF THE TERRITORY'S ADMINISTRATION. IT PROVIDES THE ESSENTIAL FRAMEWORK WITHIN WHICH THE ENTERPRISE OF HONG KONG PEOPLE CAN FLOURISH. AND FLOURISH IT DOES.
I HAVE ENJOYED MY VISIT AND I LOOK FORWARD TO RETURNING THANK YOU VERY MUCH.'
SOON.
/THE FOLLOWING