XN000022-1979-06-06 — Page 2

WEDNESDAY, JUNE 6, 1979

ONLY MINIMUM STANDARD OF SERVICES, FACILITIES PROVIDED FOR REFUGEES

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IT IS THE GOVERNMENT'S POLICY WHEREVER REFUGEES ARE ACCOMMODATED TO PROVIDE ONLY THE MINIMUM STANDARD OF SERVICES AND FACILITIES AT AS HIGH A DENSITY AS IS CONSISTENT WITH BASIC PUBLIC HEALTH STANDARDS, THE SECRETARY FOR SECURITY, THE HON. LEWIS DAVIES, TOLD THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL TODAY (WEDNESDAY).

REPLYING TO QUESTIONS CONCERNING VIETNAMESE REFUGEES, HE SAID THAT STEPS ARE BEING TAKEN TO INCREASE THE NUMBERS ACCOMMODATED IN EXISTING CAMPS.

HE ADMITTED THE ADMINISTRATION HAD NOT BEEN ABLE TO DEVISE ANY TOUGHER MEASURES THAN ARE BEING APPLIED TO PROVIDE A GREATER DETERRENT THAN NOW EXISTS FROM CROSSING THE SOUTH CHINA SEA IN SMALL OPEN BOATS.

REFERRING TO THE CHOICE OF SITES IN WHICH TO ACCOMMODATE VIETNAMESE REFUGEES, HE SAID THIS WOULD NOT HAVE MORE THAN A POSSIBLE MARGINAL INFLUENCE ON THEM IN CONSIDERING WHETHER TO COME TO HONG KONG.

ON THE QUESTION OF USING SOKO ISLANDS, HE SAID THEY WERE ALMOST DEVOID OF WATER AND TO PROVIDE IT WOULD BE EXPENSIVE.

+ITS REMOTENESS WOULD ALSO ADD TO THE COST OF THE PROVISION OF FOOD AND MAKE THE PROVISION OF THE NECESSARY FORCES TO ENSURE LAW AND ORDER AND THAT PERSONS DID NOT DISPERSE FROM THE ISLANDS DIFFICULT AND TIME-CONSUMING, HE SAID.

HARAMING

+ACCORDINGLY THE GOVERNMENT IS MAKING ACCOMMODATION AVAILABLE IN PLACES IN WHICH THE PRESENCE OF REFUGEES WILL NOT DISLOCATE EXISTING GOVERNMENT PROGRAMMES, WHERE SO FAR AS POSSIBLE HONG KONG PEOPLE WILL NOT BE INCONVENIENCED, WHERE THE REFUGEES WILL ADD TO THE LABOUR FORCE AND WHERE ITS MANAGEMENT CAN BE MOST ECONOMICALLY EFFECTED.+

SO FAR SUCH FACILITIES HAD BEEN FOUND MOSTLY WITHIN URBAN AREAS OR AT CHI MA WAN, MR. DAVIES SAID. IF THE NUMBERS OF REFUGEES INCREASE IT MIGHT BE NECESSARY TO LOOK AGAIN AT REMOTE AREAS, INCLUDING ISLANDS, DESPITE THE COST AND PROBLEMS OF DEVELOPMENT AND THE INCONVENIENCE OF SUSTAINING REFUGEES ON THEM.

+THE ETHNIC CHINESE POPULATION IN VIETNAM IS BEING

SYSTEMATICALLY FORCED EITHER INTO THE NEW ECONOMIC ZONES OR TO LEAVE THE COUNTRY BY MEANS WHICH MRS. THATCHER IN HER RECENT LETTER TO THE SECRETARY GENERAL, UNITED NATIONS REFERS TO AS 'INHUMAN”.

+THESE PEOPLE FEEL SO OPPRESSED THAT THEY ARE DETERMINED TO LEAVE DESPITE THE RISKS INHERENT IN THE SEA VOYAGE IN SMALL OVERCROWDED VESSELS.

+THE LOSSES IN THIS EXODUS HAVE BEEN ESTIMATED AT 50 PER CENT AND THEY MAY WELL BE HIGHER.

/+SUCH PERSONS...........