XN000022-1982-04-14 — Page 18

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WEDNESDAY, APRIL 14, 1982

AMNESTY RUMOURS +RUBBISH+, GOVERNOR SAYS

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THE GOVERNOR, SIR MURRAY MACLEHOSE, THIS (WEDNESDAY) EVENING DISMISSED AS +RUBBISH+ RUMOURS SPREAD BY SNAKEHEADS ABOUT AN AMNESTY FOR ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS AND WARNED PEOPLE NOT TO BE MISL BY THEM.

+THIS GOVERNMENT HAS NO INTENTION WHATEVER OF DOING ANYTHIN - SO SILLY AS TO RELAX OUR DEFENCES NOW THAT THEY ARE HOLDING,+ HE STRESSED. AND SIR MURRAY HOPED THE MEDIA WOULD SPREAD THE WORD.

+PEOPLE HERE ARE SICK OF ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS, AND IF THEY ARE NOT CAUGHT ON THE FRONTIER WIRE, OR PICKED UP BY A POLICE LAUNCH AT SEA, THEY ARE MOST LIKELY TO BE HANDED OVER TO THE POLICE BY THE POPULATION OR SIMPLY HAVE TO GIVE THEMSELVES UP FOR LACK OF A LIVING, HE SAID.

THE GOVERNOR GAVE THE WARNING IN A SPEECH AT A DINNER GIVEN BY THE FEDERATION OF HONG KONG INDUSTRIES IN HIS AND LADY MACLEHOSE'S HONOUR.

SIR MURRAY SAID THAT ALTHOUGH THE HUGE INFLUX OF 1978, 1979 AND 1980 HAD BEEN STOPPED BY OUR OWN MEASURES, EMPLOYERS' COOPERATION IN DENYING ILLEGALS WORK, AND WITH THE HELP OF THE GUANGDONG PROVINCIAL GOVERNMENT, SOME PEOPLE STILL ATTEMPTED TO COME USUALLY ENCOURAGED BY RUMOURS OF AN AMNESTY ON HIS DEPARTURE, OR THE ARRIVAL OF SIR EDWARD YOUDE, OR EVEN THE BIRTH OF THE PRINCE OF WALES' CHILD.

+THEY SHOULD NOT BE MISLED, HE SAID. +ALL THIS IS RUBBISH SPREAD BY SNAKEHEADS FOR THEIR OWN PROF IT.

SIR MURRAY ALSO SPOKE ABOUT THE THREAT POSED BY PROTECTIONIST SENTIMENT IN EUROPE AND AMERICA.

THIS WAS A SIMPLE POLITICAL REFLEX TO THE MASSIVE UNEMPLOYMENT THERE WITH WHICH HONG KONG SINCERELY SYMPATHISES, HE SAID, BUT IT IS A SHOCK THAT IT SHOULD BE AIMED AT HONG KONG, ALTHOUGH DEVELOPING COUNTRIES AND HONG KONG CONTRIBUTE LITTLE TO THIS PROBLEM WHICH IS DUE TO QUITE DIFFERENT CAUSES AND DIFFERENT COMPETITION.

+ IT IS MONSTROUS THAT IN SPITE OF THIS, THE OPPOSITE SHOULD BE ALLEGED OUT OF PURE POLITICAL EXPEDIENCY, HE ADDED.

HONG KONG WAS FORTUNATE, HOWEVER IN THAT IT HAD FIRST CLASS NEGOTIATORS WHO HAD THE FULL SUPPORT OF THE GOVERNMENT.

THE OBVIOUS ANSWER, SIR MURRAY SAID, LAY IN BOTH DIVERS IF ICATION AND IN MOVING UP MARKET, AND IN BOTH DIRECTIONS THERE HAD BEEN NOTABLE SUCCESSES.

THE GOVERNMENT,