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1
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WEDNESDAY, JUNE 5, 1991
MOVEMENT FROM OTHERS NEEDED TO RESOLVE VM PROBLEM
THE
FULL
WAS
AS
IT
THE
THE HONG KONG GOVERNMENT HAS BEEN TRYING TO OPERATE ARRANGEMENTS UNDER THE COMPREHENSIVE PLAN OF ACTION (CPA), WHICH AGREED BY OVER 70 GOVERNMENTS IN GENEVA IN 1989, FOR AS LONG PRACTICALLY CAN, BUT MOVEMENT IS NEEDED FROM OTHERS VERY SOON OR PLAN WILL SIMPLY FAIL, THE ACTING SECRETARY FOR SECURITY, THE HON STRACHAN, TOLD THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL TODAY (WEDNESDAY).
WINDING UP THE MOTION DEBATE ON VIETNAMESE MIGRANTS STRACHAN NOTED THAT IN THE DEBATE, MEMBERS HAD MADE VERY THE COMMUNITY'S PATIENCE HAD ALMOST WORN OUT.
IAN
(VM), MR CLEAR THAT
"WE
MOVEMENT NEED
FROM OTHERS VERY SOON SO ISSUE OF THE SCREENED OUT AND THE ECONOMIC DEPRIVATION IN VIETNAM.
ΤΟ AS RELATED
HELP PROBLEM
US
OF
RESOLVE THE
"OTHERS WILL NEED TO INVEST MORE OF THEIR POLITICAL RESOURCES IN HELPING TO RESOLVE THIS TWIN PROBLEM, AS HONG HAD TO INVEST ITS POLITICAL WILL AND RESOURCES SO HEAVILY PAST 16 YEARS, HE SAID.
MR STRACHAN SAID HE COULD NEITHER SUPPORT THE HON FAI'S MOTION NOR THE HON STEPHEN CHEONG'S MOTION.
HE
SAID THE GOVERNMENT WAS MOVING ON ALL THE FRONTS REFERRED TO THOUGH NOT IN THE PRECISE MANNER IN WHICH HIS FRAMED.
WILL
AND
KONG
HAS
OVER THE
POON CHI-
MR
CHEONG MOTION WAS
VM
WHILE CONCEDING THAT MEMBERS' SENSE OF FRUSTRATION OVER THE
SHOULD NOT DISTRACT ISSUE WAS WELL-JUSTIFIED, MR STRACHAN SAID IT
FROM HONG KONG'S EITHER OURSELVES
THE INTERNATIONAL COMMUNITY OR RECORD ON FIRST ASYLUM WHICH THE TERRITORY HAD MUCH TO BE PROUD OF.
HONG KONG HAD AS ONE OF THE MOST CROWDED PLACES IN THE WORLD,
FROM VIETNAM NEVERTHELESS ACCEPTED WELL OVER 180,000 ASYLUM SEEKERS SINCE 1975 AND HAD ABSORBED INTO THE COMMUNITY OVER 14,000 PEOPLE FROM INDO-CHINA, WITH NO ASYLUM SEEKER EVER BEEN TURNED AWAY, HE SAID.
"ALL
TO GIVE
CLOTHING, MEDICAL HAVE BEEN PROVIDED WITH REFUGE, FOOD, CARB AND WHATEVER OTHER LIMITED SERVICES WE HAVE BEEN ABLE THEM, HE SAID.
MR STRACHAN
SAID
HAD STUCK HONG KONG
IN 1979 AGREEMENT REACHED
WHICH
BY THE FIRMLY ACKNOWLEDGED AND SHOULD THIRD COUNTRIES, DRAWN UP AFTER THE
INTERNATIONAL ACCEPTED THAT PERSONS LEAVING VIETNAM SEEKING ASYLUM ELSEWHERE BE TREATED AS REFUGEES AND WERE TO BE RESETTLED IN AND THE 1989 AGREEMENT ON THE CPA, WHICH WAS EARLIER AGREEMENT BROKE DOWN,
HE SAID SINCE THEN HONG KONG HAD STRUGGLED UNDER VERY DIFFICULT CIRCUMSTANCES AND RESOURCE LIMITATIONS TO MAINTAIN THE CPA WHICH HAD REMAINED THE CORNER-STONE OF THE POLICIES OF BOTH THE BRITISH AND HONG KONG GOVERNMENTS IN HANDLING THIS PROBLEM,
/"NOW THE