WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 31, 1990
55
HK MUST ACHIEVE STEADY REDUCTION IN VBP POPULATION
*
HONG
OF
KONG NEEDS TO ACHIEVE AND SUSTAIN A MUCH GREATER FLOW
ΤΟ
TO PEOPLE RETURNING
VIETNAM IN THE FUTURE IF WE ARE
ACHIEVE A SECRETARY STEADY REDUCTION IN THE OVERALL BOAT PEOPLE POPULATION, THE FOR SECURITY, THE HON ALISTAIR ASPREY, SAID TODAY (WEDNESDAY).
"WE
UNHCR SHALL DO ALL WE CAN TO THAT END BY WORKING WITH THE
MESSAGE THAT TO PROMOTE REPATRIATION, AND TO REINFORCE THE ACTIVELY
HAVE NO PROSPECT OF THOSE WHO ARE NOT REFUGEES
RESETTLEMENT, MR RESUMED DEBATE OF THE ASPREY SAID WHEN SPEAKING AT THE POLICY ADDRESS.
GOVERNOR'S
HE POINTED OUT THAT THIS YEAR'S RATE OF REPATRIATION OF 400 PER MONTH WAS NEARLY FIVE TIMES LAST YEAR'S RATE.
MR
THE
SAID ASPREY
AT THE END OF OCTOBER LAST
TOTAL YEAR,
PEAKED POPULATION OF VIETNAMESE REFUGEES AND BOAT PEOPLE IN HONG KONG
THE NUMBER WAS AT NEARLY 57,000, THE HIGHEST NUMBER SINCE 1979 AND JUST UNDER 53,500, 12 MONTHS LATER.
"THIS IS A MODEST ACHIEVEMENT, GIVEN THE SIZE OF THE PROBLEM WE HAD SEEN FACE; BUT IT IS ALSO AN ENCOURAGING REVERSAL A TREND WHICH
IN THE HONG KONG'S BOAT PEOPLE POPULATION INCREASE BY NEARLY 50,000
I HE PREVIOUS TWO AND A HALF YEARS, AND BY OVER 30,000 IN 1989 ALONE, SAID.
-
MR ASPREY POINTED OUT THAT THERE WERE SEVERAL COMPONENTS TO THE ARRIVALS AND EQUATION OF THE VIETNAMESE BOAT PEOPLE POPULATION BIRTHS ON THE ONE HAND, RESETTLEMENT AND REPATRIATION ON THE OTHER.
"THE RESULT IS THAT WE HAVE TO RUN HARD EVEN TO STAND STILL. NET REDUCTION IN POPULATION OF 3,500 OVER THE PAST 12 MONTHS HAS
PERIOD, ACHIEVED AS A RESULT OF SOME 12,000 DEPARTURES OVER THE SAME HE SAID.
A
BEEN
Fr
PROGRESS ON RESETTLEMENT, MR ASPREY SAID, HAD BEEN PARTICULARLY THIS YEAR, ENCOURAGING WITH SOME 6,000 HAVING LEFT FOR RESETTLEMENT
KONG HAD DROPPED FROM AND THE NUMBER OF REFUGEES REMAINING IN HONG 12,000 AT THE BEGINNING OF THE YEAR TO SOME 8,500 TODAY.
PROGRESS
"I EXPECT THIS TREND TO CONTINUE. WE HAVE MADE LESS ON REPATRIATION. ALTHOUGH SOME 4,000 PERSONS HAVE RETURNED TO VIETNAM SO FAR THIS YEAR, OUR TOTAL POPULATION OF UNSCREENED OR BOAT PEOPLE HAS INCREASED SLIGHTLY OVER THE SAME PERIOD.
SCREENED-OUT
WITH MR ASPREY
NOTING THAT VIETNAM WAS SEEKING TO IMPROVE ITS RELATIONS IT'S NEIGHBOURS AND THE INTERNATIONAL COMMUNITY AT LARGE, SAID:
"WE ARE
AND AID
WILL
THIS
RETURN
VIETNAM,
TO
AND THEIR
++
MUST HOPE THAT THE BENEFITS OF TRADE, INVESTMENT
OF WHICH
LIKELY
RELATIONS TO FLOW FROM A NORMALISATION TRANSLATE INTO IMPROVED ECONOMIC CONDITIONS IN VIETNAM; AND THAT
WILL IN TURN
FROM HELP TO STEM ILLEGAL DEPARTURES THOSE ENCOURAGE
NOW IN THE DETENTION CENTRES HOMELAND AND PICK UP THE THREADS OF THEIR LIVES ONCE MORE.
TO
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