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WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 2, 1987
+
THAT AS
'WE HAVE NOW BEEN TOLD EMPHATICALLY BY THE PRIME MINISTER THE UK'S RESETTLEMENT COMMITMENTS HAVE BEEN EXTENDED AS FAR POSSIBLE FOR THE TIME BEING: IF THIS IS 50, THEN IS IT SURPRISING THAT OTHER RESETTLEMENT COUNTRIES REGARD THE UK'S RESETTLEMENT OF 234 REFUGEES A YEAR FROM HONG KONG AS DERISORY?" SHE QUESTIONED.
SHE NOTED THAT CANADA HAD ALREADY ADMITTED 724 REFUGEES SO FAR THIS YEAR; AUSTRALIA 483; AND THE U.S. 321. "AND HOW CAN WE IN HONG KONG OURSELVES AVOID SEEING THE UK'S CONTRIBUTION AS DERISORY WHEN WE NOW HAVE AN AVERAGE OF 300 REFUGEES ARRIVING IN HONG KONG EVERY MONTH?" SHE ASKED.
CONFERENCE,
MRS FAN RECALLED THAT AT THE 1979 GENEVA
THE SECRETARY GENERAL OF THE UNITED NATIONS HAD EMPHASISED THAT WHILE THE COUNTRIES OF INITIAL ARRIVAL WERE EXPECTED TO RESPECT FULLY THE PRINCIPLE OF FIRST ASYLUM FOR REFUGEES COMING THERE BY LAND AND SEA, THEY IN TURN EXPECTED AN ASSURANCE THAT THEY WOULD NOT BE BURDENED WITH THE RESIDUAL PROBLEMS AND THAT NO REFUGEES WOULD STAY IN THEIR COUNTRIES FOR MORE THAN A SPECIFIED PERIOD.
"IF THE INTERNATIONAL UNDERSTANDINGS REACHED AT THE GENEVA CONFERENCE ARE STILL VALID, AND IF WE ARE STILL FULFILLING TO THE LETTER OUR OBLIGATIONS AS A PLACE OF FIRST ASYLUM, THEN WHY IS THE REST OF THE WORLD NOT PLAYING ITS PART, AND WHY IS BRITAIN, WHICH COMMITTED HONG KONG TO THESE OBLIGATIONS, NOT TAKING THE LEAD?"
SHE ADDED THAT THE LEGCO AD HOC GROUP HAD REQUESTED THAT THE SECRETARY FOR SECURITY TO PURSUE VIGOROUSLY THROUGH THE BRITISH GOVERNMENT THE POSSIBILITY OF REPATRIATION OVER THE COMING FEW MONTHS AND, BY APRIL NEXT YEAR, TO ARRIVE AT SOME ASSESSMENT OF HOW LONG IT WOULD TAKE THE VIETNAMESE GOVERNMENT TO ACCEPT THE PROPOSAL AND TO ACT UPON IT.
SECURITY
THE AD HOC GROUP HAD ALSO REQUESTED THE SECRETARY FOR TO EXAMINE THE EXISTING POLICY ON GRANTING FIRST ASYLUM TO ALL BOAT PEOPLE FROM VIETNAM, SHOULD IT BECOME CLEAR BY APRIL THAT LITTLE PROGRESS CAN BE MADE WITH THE REPATRIATION PROPOSAL.
MRS FAN ADDED THAT THE AD HOC GROUP'S EXASPERATION WITH THE POLICY OF FIRST ASYLUM SPRUNG FROM THE FAILURE OF RESETTLEMENT COUNTRIES, AND PARTICULARLY THE
UK, ΤΟ FULFIL THEIR ROLE IN THE
ARRANGEMENTS DRAWN UP AT THE GENEVA CONFERENCE.
"IT WOULD NOT HAVE ARISEN HAD HONG KONG BEEN ASSURED OF THE
SPEEDY RESETTLEMENT OVERSEAS OF ALL VIETNAMESE BOAT PEOPLE WHO ENTER HER WATERS, SHE SAID.
申申
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