XN000022-1979-10-10 — Page 7

WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 10, 1979

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HK STILL CARRYING GREATER BURDEN OF VR'S

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THE NUMBER OF VIETNAMESE REFUGEES IN HONG KONG AWAITING OVERSEAS RESETTLEMENT IS MORE THAN THE NUMBER OF BOAT REFUGEES ANYWHERE ELSE IN THE REGION DESPITE A CONSIDERABLE IMPROVEMENT IN THE OFF-TAKE RATE AFTER THE GENEVA CONFERENCE, THE GOVERNOR, SIR MURRAY MACLEHOSE SAID TODAY (WEDNESDAY).

IN HIS OPENING ADDRESS TO THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL, SIR MURRAY SAID RESETTLEMENT FROM HONG KONG HAD BEEN SLOW AND THERE WAS A DANGER THAT FOLLOWING THE CONFERENCE, INTERNATIONAL INTEREST WOULD DECLINE OR FOCUS ON SOME OTHER INDO-CHINESE ISSUE WHILE IN HONG KONG THE PROBLEM REMAINED VERY MUCH WITH US AS THE FIGURES SHOWED.

+THERE ARE STILL 65 000 VIETNAMESE REFUGEES IN HONG KONG AWAITING RESETTLEMENT,+ HE POINTED OUT.

HE SAID SINCE THE GENEVA CONFERENCE, THE RATE OF ARRIVALS, HERE AND ELSEWHERE, HAD DROPPED SIGNIFICANTLY THOUGH SOME REFUGEES HAVE CONTINUED TO ARRIVE.

ONLY 12 900 REFUGEES IN HONG KONG HAD BEEN RESETTLED SINCE THE BEGINNING OF THIS YEAR, SIR MURRAY SAID.

+HOWEVER THE RATE HAS IMPROVED CONSIDERABLY SINCE THE GENEVA CONFERENCE AND WE ARE NOW HOPING TO REACH AND MAINTAIN A MONTHLY DEPARTURE RATE OF AT LEAST 4 000, HE ADDED.

S1R MURRAY SAID IF THERE WERE NO FURTHER LARGE SCALE ARRIVALS OF REFUGEES, WE CAN HOPE THAT THE PROBLEM WILL GRADUALLY DIMINISH OVER THE NEXT YEAR OR SO.+

+THIS, OF COURSE, DEPENDS ON THE MANY RECEIVING COUNTRIES CONTINUING AND INCREASING THEIR EFFORTS, AND ON HONG KONG GETTING ITS FAIR SHARE OF RESETTLEMENT PLACES.

+ IT ALSO DEPENDS ON THE OUTWARD FLOW NOT RESTARTING.

IF IT DOES, IT WOULD ONLY BE AS THE RESULT OF A DELIBERATE AND CALLOUS DECISION BY THE VIETNAMESE GOVERNMENT.

+THEIR ABILITY TO CONTROL THIS MOVEMENT WAS AMPLY PROVED WHEN THEY STOPPED IT AT THE TIME OF THE GENEVA CONFERENCE,+ SIR MURRAY SAID.

SIR MURRAY PAID TRIBUTE TO THE MANY GOVERNMENT DEPARTMENTS, VOLUNTARY AGENCIES AND INDIVIDUALS WHO HAD DONE SO MUCH TO ASSIST IN THE ADMINISTRATION OF THE REFUGEE CAMPS.

THE UNHCR HAD AGREED TO COVER THE CARE AND MAINTENANCE COSTS OF ALL VIETNAMESE REFUGEES IN HONG KONG FROM SEPTEMBER 1, HE SAID. UP TILL THIS DATE, THE DIRECT RECURRENT AND CAPITAL COSTS INCURRED BY THE GOVERNMENT ON THE REFUGEES AMOUNTED TO $66.5 MILLION.

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