7
WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 29, 1989
BASIC
MONEY FOR PROVIDING CERTAIN
FACILITIES ON THE ISLAND PROBLEM SHOULD BE CONTRIBUTED BY ALL THE GOVERNMENTS WHICH FACED THIS EITHER AS A COUNTRY OF FIRST ASYLUM OR AS A RESETTLEMENT COUNTRY.
TO
OF
CONTRIBUTE
"AND THE USA WHICH HAS BEEN THE LOUDEST IN HER CONDEMNATION THE POLICY OF MANDATORY REPATRIATION WOULD BE EXPECTED HANDSOMELY," HE SAID.
ALL
MR LEE SAID THAT WITH SUCH A HOLDING CENTRE IN OPERATION, FUTURE VIETNAMESE ARRIVALS IN HONG KONG AND OTHER SOUTHEAST ASIAN SCREENING COUNTRIES WOULD BE DIRECTLY TRANSFERRED TO THE CENTRE WHERE WOULD TAKE PLACE.
REFUGEES WOULD THOSE WHO WERE SCREENED AS RESETTLEMENT COUNTRIES, AND THOSE SCREENED OUT AS WOULD BE ALLOWED TO LIVE AND WORK ON THE ISLAND, FOREIGN AID, COULD RESTORE ITS ECONOMY,
BE TAKEN BY THE ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS UNTIL VIETNAM,
WITH
AND WHEN THAT HAPPENED, THOSE VIETNAMESE BOAT PEOPLE WOULD RETURN TO THEIR HOMES.
ALL
THIS THE BIG ADVANTAGE TO HONG KONG IN ADOPTING
A VERY GRAVE THAT IT WOULD GET RID OF
WITHOUT PROBLEM ATTRACT ANY BAD INTERNATIONAL PUBLICITY.
PROPOSAL WAS HAVING то
THE
TO COMMUNITY,
"SOW THE
HE URGED MEMBERS, AS LEADERS OF SEEDS OF UNDERSTANDING, OF SYMPATHY, AND OF LOVE"
AS
WE
"LET US DO UNTO THE VIETNAMESE PEOPLE
WOULD HAVE THE THE FREE WORLD DO UNTO US. FOR WE RELY ON THE HONOUR AND INTEGRITY OF
RIGHT OF ABODE IN THE UNITET! BRITISH PEOPLE WHEN WE PUSH FOR THE
THE PEOPLE OF KINGDOM. LET IT NOT BE SAID AGAINST US THAT WE,
HONG THIS PROBLEM, HE KONG, LACK HONOUR OR INTEGRITY IN OUR HANDLING OF SAID.
•
HAD NOT
MR LEE SAID MANY SUPPORTERS OF MANDATORY REPATRIATION THOROUGHLY CONSIDERED THE IMPLICATIONS SUCH A MOVE WOULD HAVE ON KONG.
THE FIRST PROBLEM WAS THE ADVERSE EFFECT THIS MOVE ON HONG KONG'S IMAGE IN THE INTERNATIONAL COMMUNITY.
HONG
WOULD HAVE
PARTICULARLY
A SCENE WHEN THEY ARE VIEW OF OVERSEAS
HE ASKED: "WHAT IF SOME OF THE VIETNAMESE PEOPLE, WOMEN AND VERY YOUNG CHILDREN, WERE TO MAKE BEING FORCIBLY TAKEN INTO A PLANE OR SHIP, IN FULL TELEVISION CAMERAS AND JOURNALISTS?
INDEED, SOME MAY EVEN THROW THEMSELVES INTO THE SEA AND DROWN. EYES OF THE ARE WE PREPARED TO LET THEM SCREAM OR DROWN, BEFORE THE WORLD?"
MR LEE
CAUTIONED THAT
SUPPORT FOR MANDATORY REPATRIATION POLICY MIGHT UNDO ALL THE EFFORTS HAD MADE TO WIN THE SUPPORT OF THE INTERNATIONAL COMMUNITY.
OPEN
ADOPTION
OF
THE THAT OMELCO
/HIS SECOND