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TUESDAY, MAY 31, 1988
THE SOVIET INVASION OF AFGHANISTAN AND ITS SUPPORT FOR THE VIETNAMESE OCCUPATION OF CAMBODIA HAVE HELPED CREATE TWO OF THE WORLD'S LARGEST REFUGEE PROBLEMS. SOVIET TROOPS ARE NOW PULLING OUT OF AFGHANISTAN. SO LET'S HOPE MR GORBACHEV'S NEW THINKING WILL SOON TURN ITS ATTENTION IN AN EQUALLY CONSTRUCTIVE WAY TO SOUTHEAST ASIA.
MY OTHER STRONG IMPRESSION FROM THE VISIT IS OF THE VIGOUR THE DEBATE ABOUT HONG KONG'S FUTURE. THE IMPORTANT THING NOW IS CHANNEL THIS ENERGY INTO GIVING A CLEAR AND COMPREHENSIVE RESPONSE THE FIRST DRAFT OF THE BASIC LAW. THE CONSULTATION PERIOD IS OPPORTUNITY TO BE SEIZED.
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YESTERDAY I DEALT IN SOME DETAIL WITH THE APPROACH OF HER MAJESTY'S GOVERNMENT TO HONG KONG'S FUTURE. LET ME SIMPLY REPEAT: IT NOT A QUESTION OF CHOOSING BETWEEN UPHOLDING BRITAIN'S RESPONSIBILITY FOR HONG KONG AND HAVING GOOD RELATIONS WITH CHINA. BRITAIN ISN'T IN THE BUSINESS OF CUTTING AND RUNNING. WE HAVE A RIGHT AND AN OBLIGATION TO GOVERN HONG KONG UNTIL 1997. THAT'S AN OBLIGATION WHICH WILL NOT BE SHIRKED.
FINALLY, MAY I TAKE THE OPPORTUNITY ON BEHALF OF MY WIFE, MY DELEGATION AND MYSELF TO THANK THE GOVERNOR, MEMBERS OF THE HONG KONG GOVERNMENT AND THE PEOPLE OF HONG KONG FOR THEIR WARM AND GENEROUS HOSPITALITY.
SALLY BLYTH (RTHK): SIR GEOFFREY, YOU HAVE JUST SAID NOW THAT YOU APPRECIATE HONG KONG'S REFUGEE PROBLEM AND THAT HONG KONG CAN'T GO ON OFFERING ITSELF AS A TRANSIT POINT. DOES THAT MEAN THAT THE BRITISH GOVERNMENT IS SERIOUSLY CONSIDERING RELIEVING HONG KONG OF THE FIRST ASYLUM STATUS AS REQUESTED BY LEGISLATIVE COUNCILLORS AND DISTRICT BOARD MEMBERS?
SIR GEOFFREY: WELL, I HAVE OBVIOUSLY DISCUSSED THE VARIOUS OPTIONS WITH THE HONG KONG GOVERNMENT. I WILL BE DISCUSSING THEM ALSO IN LONDON AND I CAN'T, AS I SAID IN MY STATEMENT, TODAY ANTICIPATE THE OUTCOME OF THAT REVIEW. BUT AS I ALSO SAID IN THE STATEMENT THINGS CANNOT GO ON AS THEY ARE, THE MORE SO SINCE MOST PEOPLE ARE NOT POLITICAL MOST BOAT PEOPLE ARE NOT POLITICAL REFUGEES PROPER. WE HAVE TO FIND A WAY OF DISTINGUISHING BETWEEN THE GENUINE POLITICAL REFUGEES AND OTHERS.
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SALLY BLYTH: BUT IT IS ONE OF THE OPTIONS YOU ARE CONSIDERING?
SIR GEOFFREY: I THINK THAT MUST BE PLAIN FROM WHAT I HAVE ALREADY SAID.
SIMON FUNG (RTHK): SIR GEOFFREY, YESTERDAY IN YOUR LUNCHEON SPEECH YOU MENTIONED THAT THE PRESENT DRAFT OF THE BASIC LAW VIRTUALLY CONTAINED ALL THE PROVISIONS IN THE JOINT DECLARATION. THE USE OF THE WORDS "VIRTUALLY ALL", WOULD THAT IMPLY YOU HAVE ALREADY SPOTTED SOME OF THE PROVISION IN THE JOINT DECLARATION IN THE DRAFT OF THE BASIC LAW?
WERE MISSING
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