FRIDAY, JULY 1, 1988
10
BETTY LIU: TO HELP THE BRITISH GOVERNMENT OR TO HELP. ?
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LORD GLENARTHUR: TO HELP ALL OF US ENSURE THAT BY GETTING THE HELP THAT THEY SEEM TO BE GETTING, THAT ISN'T INCREASING THE NUMBER OF BOAT PEOPLE THAT COME TO HONG KONG.
BETTY LIU: WHAT IS THE POSITION THAT YOU CONVEYED?
LORD GLENARTHUR: WELL, THAT WAS IT.
BETTY LIU: YOU TOLD THEM NOT TO HELP THESE PEOPLE?
LORD GLENARTHUR: WELL, WE DIDN'T GO INTO THAT DETAIL. WE SIMPLY SAID THIS APPEARS TO BE HAPPENING, COULD YOU HAVE A LOOK AT IT.
FANNY WONG: THE FINANCIAL SECRETARY HAS SUGGESTED THAT A SUBSTANTIAL REDUCTION IN THE BRITISH TROOPS STATIONED HERE WOULD ONLY HAPPEN IN MID 1990'S. IS IT YOUR INTENTION, CAN YOU DO IT AS WE SHALL BE HAVING AN EXPANDING POLICE FORCE TO TAKE OVER THE DUTIES?
LORD GLENARTHUR: WELL, THERE WILL BE AN EXPANDING POLICE FORCE IN DUE TIME, YES, WE KNOW ABOUT THAT. THE ACTUAL METHOD AND THE DETAIL OF THE EVENTUAL RUN-DOWN OF THE BRITISH GARRISON HERE IS STILL A MATTER FOR DETERMINATION. IT IS OBVIOUSLY SOMETHING THAT IS DISCUSSED AT THE MINISTRY OF DEFENCE AS WELL. THE DETAILS HAVE NOT YET BEEN ESTABLISHED IT IS TOO EARLY TO TELL.
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FANNY WONG: IS IT POSSIBLE THAT YOU WILL DO EARLY 1990'S?
SOMETHING IN THE
LORD GLENARTHUR: WE ARE NOT TALKING
ABOUT TIME SCALES. AS I SAID, THE DECISIONS HAVE NOT YET BEEN TAKEN. THE DETAIL, I AM AFRAID, IS NOT THAT ADVANCED YET.
MR ROBIN MCLAREN, ASSISTANT UNDER-SECRETARY OF STATE AT THE FOREIGN AND COMMONWEALTH OFFICE: THAT, MINISTER, IF I MIGHT JUST IT IS OF COURSE THAT THE MEMBERS OF THE PRESS KNOW ALSO IT SUBJECT THAT WE HAVE BEEN DISCUSSING WITH THE CHINESE IN THE LIAISON GROUP.
ADD, IS A JOINT
WHICH HONG
SALLY BLYTH (RTHK): YOU SAID THAT THE HARDER STAND KONG HAS ADOPTED IN ITS REFUGEE POLICY YOU HAVE DISCUSSED WITH OTHER RESETTLEMENT COUNTRIES AND IT SEEMS TO HAVE BEEN WIDELY ACCEPTED. DURING THESE TALKS HAVE YOU RECEIVED ANY INDICATION FROM THOSE RESETTLEMENT COUNTRIES THAT THEY TOO ARE CONSIDERING STEPPING UP THEIR RESETTLEMENT RATE OF REFUGEES FROM HONG KONG'S CAMPS?
LORD GLENARTHUR: NO, WE HAVE NOT HAD THOSE DISCUSSIONS YET. IT HAS BEEN REPRESENTED TO ME HERE THAT, AS I SAID EARLIER, THAT THERE MAY BE A LINKAGE BETWEEN WHAT THE UNITED KINGDOM DOES AND WHAT OTHERS MIGHT DO BUT, AGAIN, THOSE ALL FORM PART OF THE PACKAGE OF WAYS OF DEALING WITH THE PROBLEM WHICH I SHALL TAKE BACK AND CONSIDER.
/CHAN BO-SHUN