9
ON
TUESDAY, JULY 4, 1989
ABC NEWS
SIR GEOFFREY,
ANYTHING THAT THE UNITED STATES MOVING TOWARDS 1997?
CAN
DO
YOU BELIEVE
OR
SHOULD DO
THAT THERE IS FOR HONG KONG,
SIR GEOFFREY: YES, TWO THINGS. ONE, IT SHOULD I'M ALLOWED TO OFFER TWO ANSWERS TO THE QUESTION. THE FIRST ONE, THE UNITED STATES HAS JOINED WITH THE REST OF THE WORLD IN CONDEMNING VERY VIGOUROUS LY WHAT'S HAPPENED IN PEKING AND CHINA, AND IN TAKING MEASURES, AS WE'VE ALL
CONTACT,
DONE IN THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITY, TO BREAK OFF HIGH LEVEL TO BAN ARMS SALES, AND TO RESTRAIN NEW DEALS FOR THE WORLD BANK AND SO ON. AND THAT'S FINE. BUT I THINK THE UNITED STATES WOULD BE PRUDENT TO AVOID GOING FURTHER DOWN THE ROAD TOWARDS ECONOMIC SANCTIONS. I'M QUITE CERTAIN THAT THE MOST SECURE WAY OF BEING ABLE TO RE-ESTABLISH CONTACT OF A SENSIBLE KIND, WITH SENSIBLE LEADERSHIP IN PEKING, IS
PROSPECT OF ECONOMIC RELATIONS WITH EACH OTHER. I RETAIN THE THAT, NOT JUST BECAUSE IT'S OF ENORMOUS IMPORTANCE TO HONG KONG; KONG WOULD BE GRAVELY DAMAGED IF THE UNITED STATES, STILL LESS COUNTRIES, WERE TO ENGAGE IN ECONOMIC SANCTIONS, AND I BELIEVE THEY'D BE WRONG FOR THEIR OWN SAKES. THAT'S POINT NUMBER ONE.
SAY
HONG OTHER THAT
POINT NUMBER TWO. THE UNITED STATES HAS GOT TO FOLLOW THROUGH THE LOGIC OF IT'S OWN MESSAGE ON VIETNAMESE BOAT PEOPLE.
MR EAGLEBURGER IN THE SPEECH THAT HE MADE IN GENEVA AT THE CONFERENCE THE OTHER DAY, SAID AS FOLLOWS:
"THOSE WHO FLEE CLANDESTINELY AND CANNOT ESTABLISH A WELL FOUNDED FEAR OF PERSECUTION, MUST UNDERSTAND THAT SUCH FLIGHT NO LONGER LEADS TO RESETTLEMENT. SUCH PERSONS WILL FACE AND INDEFINITE STAY IN A HOLDING CAMP. IT IS IMPORTANT FOR THOSE THINKING OF FLEEING THE FORMER NORTH VIETNAM, TO REALISE THAT MOST WILL FAIL TO QUALIFY AS REFUGEES AND WILL THEREFORE NOT BE ELIGIBLE FOR RESETTLEMENT.
H
THERE YOU HAVE THE REPRESENTATIVE OF THE UNITED STATES TELLING THE GENEVA REFUGEE CONFERENCE THAT ANYONE WHO LEAVES VIETNAM WILL STOPPED IN HONG KONG; WILL HAVE NO PROSPECT OF GOING ON TO THE REST OF THE WORLD. AND YET THE UNITED STATES, ALMOST ALONE IN THAT AND CONFERENCE, WAS UNWILLING TO ACCEPT THE LOGIC OF ITS OWN ARGUMENT RECOGNISE THAT THE ONLY PLACE IN WHICH VIETNAMESE PEOPLE COULD LOOK FORWARD то A FUTURE IS BACK IN THEIR OWN COUNTRY. SQ THAT'S THE SECOND, MOST IMPORTANT THING THE UNITED STATES CAN DO. IT WAS ALMOST ALONE IN THAT CONFERENCE, IN FAILING TO FOLLOW THROUGH THE LOGIC OF MR EAGLEBURGER'S SPEECH. SO PLEASE URGE THEM TO DO JUST THAT.
/HARVEY PONG ................