SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 19, 1987
Q.
3
THE FOLLOWING IS A FULL TRANSCRIPT OF THE PRESS CONFERENCE:
{SALLY BLYTH, RTHK}: YOU HAVE JUST REITERATED BRITAIN'S COMMITMENT TO HONG KONG IN THE RUN-UP TO 1997. WILL THE BRITISH GOVERNMENT NOW DEMONSTRATE ITS RESPONSIBILITY BY TAKING SOME NEW INITIATIVE TO SOLVE HONG KONG'S VIETNAMESE REFUGEE PROBLEM” FOR EXAMPLE, IT HAS BEEN SUGGESTED THAT BRITAIN SHOULD HELP MAINTAIN THE COSTS OF RUNNING THE REFUGEE CAMPS HERE. AND WILL BRITAIN PERHAPS REVIEW ITS QUOTA AND AGREE TO TAKE MORE VIETNAMESE REFUGEES FROM HONG KONG FOR RESETTLEMENT?
A:
WELL, OBVIOUSLY WE HAVE GOT TO CONTINUE TO KEEP OUR EYE ON WHAT, I APPRECIATE, IS A VERY DIFFICULT SITUATION. BUT 1 THINK, IN MY OPENING REMARKS, I MADE IT QUITE CLEAR THAT ONE OF THE THINGS HAVE INSTRUCTED TO HAPPEN IS THAT OUR AMBASSADOR ΤΟ VIETNAM MAKE A FURTHER APPROACH TO THE VIETNAMESE GOVERNMENT, TO TAKE VERY MUCH THE CONCERNS WHICH YOU REGISTER.
THAT I SHOULD FORWARD
ON THE SECOND POINT ABOUT COSTS, THE SITUATION
AT THE MOMENT IS THAT WE, THE UNITED KINGDOM GOVERNMENT, FUND THE UNITED NATIONS HIGH COMMISSIONER FOR REFUGEES AND WE CONTRIBUTE TO THEIR FUNDS AND THE UNITED NATIONS HIGH COMMISSIONER FOR REFUGEES PAYS COSTS TOWARDS THE EFFORT OF KEEPING PEOPLE IN THE CAMPS THAT THEY ARE IN HERE. SO THE COSTS MATTER IS ALREADY TAKEN CARE OF.
Q.
(SALLY BLYTH): WHAT ABOUT THE SHORTER-TERM SOLUTION THOUGH OF ACCEPTING MORE REFUGEES FROM HONG KONG FOR RESETTLEMENT?
A:
I THINK YOU HAVE GOT TO LOOK AT THE HISTORY OF IT ALL. AS I SAID, WE'VE ACCEPTED SOME NEARLY 13,000 OVER THE LAST 12 OR SO YEARS. WE ARE, IN FACT, ABOUT THIRD IN THE LEAGUE TABLE OF COUNTRIES THAT HAVE ACCEPTED THEM AND THE IDEA OF TAKING THESE EXTRA, MORE THAN
450, IS TO TRY AND STIMULATE OTHER COUNTRIES TO BEAR THEIR SHARE OF THE RESPONSIBILITIES TOWARDS THESE REFUGEES.
બી.
(STUART PALLISTER, ATV): YOU SAID THAT BRITAIN HAS TAKEN 13,000 BUT THAT'S FAIRLY NEGLIGIBLE COMPARED TO THE UNITED STATES, AUSTRALIA AND CANADA. AUSTRALIA AND CANADA HAVE TAKEX 180,000 BETWEEN THEM. AMERICA MORE THAN HALF A MILLION. IS IT NOT TIME FOR BRITAIN TO TAKE A LEAD ON THIS ISSUE?
A:
—
WELL. I THINK YOU'VE GOT TO GET 1T INTO PROPORTION. DO REMEMBER THAT THEY ARE, BOTH THE UNITED STATES AND CANADA ARE, FOR EXAMPLE, AND AUSTRALIA
THEIR ARE CONSIDERABLY LARGER COUNTRIES IN OWN RIGHT. SECONDLY, WE DO HAVE A MAJOR IMMIGRATION ISSUE OURSELVES TO CONTEND WITH AND WE HAVE TO LOOK AT THIS MATTER IN THE ROUND. THERE IS CONSIDERABLE PRESSURE ON OUR OWN IMMIGRATION SERVICES AND THESE REFUGEES, AND THE NUMBERS WE'VE TAKEN, I THINK ARE NOT REALLY QUITE AS BAD A PICTURE AS YOU PAINT. THIRD IN THE LEAGUE TABLE IS NOT A BAD POSITION TO BE IN. NEARLY 13,000 IS A CONSIDERABLE NUMBER.
Q
•
BASICALLY
(STUART PALLISTER): BUT NOW THAT THE GENERAL ELECTION IS OUT OF THE WAY, WOULD THIS NOT BE A GOOD TIME TO
TAKE MORE
REFUGEES?
/A:
WELL,