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WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 29, 1989
SPEAKING IN THE MOTION DEBATE ON URGENT MANDATORY REPATRIATION OF VIETNAMESE BOAT PEOPLE, MRS LAU SAID CONCRETE MEASURES IN PLACE WELL BEFOREHAND TO DETER A FURTHER EXODUS OF BOAT HONG KONG AND THE BRITISH GOVERNMENT HAD TO PROVIDE HONG THE NECESSARY BACKING FOR THE IMPLEMENTATION OF MANDATORY
REPATRIATION.
HAD TO BE PEOPLE TO KONG WITH
SHE SAID BRITAIN HAD TO REMAIN FIRM AND RESOLUTE IN CARRYING OUT WHAT IT BELIEVED TO BE RIGHT AND HELP HONG KONG то SECURE UNDERSTANDING AND SUPPORT FROM THE INTERNATIONAL COMMUNITY.
"J ACCEPT THAT MANDATORY REPATRIATION IS NOT PALATABLE TO MANY, BUT IN LIFE, SOMETIMES WE NEED TO BE CRUEL IN ORDER TO BE KIND," ЗНЕ SAID.
BY ADOPTING MANDATORY REPATRIATION, MRS LAU SAID HONG KONG MIGHT RUN THE RISK OF INCURRING THE WRATH OF THE INTERNATIONAL COMMUNITY AND INVITE RETALIATION AND ECONOMIC SANCTION.
BUT SHE BELIEVED THE CHANCE FOR SUCH RETALIATION AND ECONOMIC SANCTION WAS SLIM BECAUSE NATIONS WHICH DID NOT ENDORSE SUCH ACTION WOULD NOT ACT UNREASONABLY, PARTICULARLY SO WHEN THEY DID NOT HAVE MUCH GROUND FOR THIS.
MRS LAU SAID THAT HONG KONG HAD LIVED WITH THE BOAT PEOPLE PROBLEM FOR A LONG TIME AND THE STRAIN ON THE TERRITORY WAS FAST BECOMING INTOLERABLE.
+ UNLESS SOMETHING IS DONE QUICKLY TO AMELIORATE THE PROBLEM, GOVERNMENT MAY FIND IT HARD TO CONTAIN THE DISSATISFACTION AND EMOTIONS OF THE PEOPLE.
"IT IS IMPERATIVE THAT WE SHOULD AT LEAST BE ABLE TO AFFORD SOME ASSURANCE THAT THERE WILL BE A FORESEEABLE END ΤΟ THIS PROTRACTED NIGHTMARE, SHE SAID.
OF
BRITAIN
APART FROM REPATRIATING NON-REFUGEES, MRS LAU REMINDED ITS RESPONSIBILITY то TAKE THE LEAD IN RESETTLING REFUGERS STRANDED IN HONG KONG IN ORDER то BE ABLE TO ASK THE OTHER RESETTLEMENT COUNTRIES TO FOLLOW SUIT.
FIRST ASYLUM POLICY GIVES ONLY FALSE HOPES
THE HON ELSIE TU EXPRESSED SUPPORT IN THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL TODAY (WEDNESDAY) FOR THE URGENT REPATRIATION OF VIETNAMESE BOAT PEOPLE AND ALSO CALLED FOR THE SCRAPPING OF THE PORT OF FIRST ASYLUM POLICY.
THE ONE-SIDED PORT OF FIRST ASYLUM POLICY WAS AT THE ROOT OF THE BOAT PEOPLE PROBLEM AND HAD PROVED TO BE ONLY A POLITICAL CHARADE HOLDING OUT FALSE HOPES TO THEM, MRS TU SAID WHEN SPEAKING IN SUPPORT OF THE MOTION CALLING FOR URGENT MANDATORY REPATRIATION.
"THE DECISION