TUESDAY, JANUARY 16, 1990
FOREIGN SECRETARY TALKS OF BRITISH PRESENCE IN HK
THE SECRETARY OF STATE FOR FOREIGN AND COMMONWEALTH AFFAIRS,
IT WOULD MR DOUGLAS HURD, SAID THIS (TUESDAY) MORNING HE HOPED THAT NOT BE TOO LONG BEFORE SOME DECISIVE PROGRESS WAS MADE CONCERNING THE ESTABLISHMENT OF A BRITISH CONSULATE GENERAL IN HONG KONG.
OF MEETING
THE IMPORTANT TO FOR THE
ΤΟ SPEAKING
REPORTERS AFTER ATTENDING A EXECUTIVE COUNCIL, MR HURD SAID: "IT'S GOING TO BE VERY
BRITISH PRESENCE SUBSTANTIAL HAVE A
IN HONG
BOTH KONG, PROTECTION OF BRITISH CITIZENS AND ON THE COMMERCIAL SIDE.
WITH".
ΤΟ HE SAID IT WAS AN IMPORTANT MATTER "THAT WE'VE GOT
GET ON
THE FOREIGN SECRETARY POINTED OUT THAT WHILE DISCUSSIONS IN THE EXECUTIVE COUNCIL WERE CONFIDENTIAL, A WIDE RANGE OF MATTERS THAT WERE OF INTEREST TO HONG KONG WERE DISCUSSED WHEN HE ATTENDED THIS MORNING.
"BUT IT WON'T SURPRISE YOU THAT CONSTITUTIONAL THE BOAT PEOPLE AND THE NATIONALITY WERE AMONG THE CAME UP," MR HURD SAID.
DEVELOPMENTS,
SUBJECTS
WHICH
UK CONTRIBUTES $148M MORE TO VBP CENTRES
* * * * *
OF IN
THE BRITISH GOVERNMENT HAS MADE AN EXTRA CONTRIBUTION $148 MILLION TOWARDS THE RUNNING OF VIETNAMESE BOAT PEOPLE CENTRES HONG KONG. THE SECRETARY OF STATE FOR FOREIGN AND COMMONWEALTH AFFAIRS, MR DOUGLAS HURD, SAID TODAY (TUESDAY).
SPEAKING TO REPORTERS AFTER VISITING A REFUGEE CENTRE AT PILLAR POINT AND A VBP CENTRE AT HEI LING CHAU, MR HURD SAID THAT FINANCING WAS NOT A KEY PART OF THE BOAT PEOPLE PROBLEM.
"THE MAIN PROBLEM IS THERE ARE TOO MANY PEOPLE HERE IN TOO SMALL A SPACE. HE SAID.
"IT JUST REDOUBLES ONE'S WISH TO CLEAR THE CAMPS AS SOON AS ONE CAN AND PREVENT OTHER COMING. PREVENT THE CAMPS FILLING AND RE- FILLING, HE ADDED.
H
זי
ASKED FOR HIS RESPONSE TO A SPECIFIC CRITICISM BY AMNESTY INTERNATIONAL OF THE SCREENING PROCESS AND AN ALLEGATION THAT REFUGEES WERE BEING SENT BACK TO VIETNAM, MR HURD SAID: 'I DON'T THINK THAT THAT CAN BE THE ALLEGATION BECAUSE WE HAVE. APART FROM THE VOLUNTEERS WHO
Ι ARE RETURNING ALL THE TIME OF COURSE, WE HAVE SENT BACK 51 AND DON'T THINK AMNESTY INTERNATIONAL 18 SUGGESTING THAT ANY OF THOSE WHO HAVE BEEN SENT BACK ARE REFUGEES.
/"THE GOVERNMENT