XN000022-1984-12-06 — Page 14

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THURSDAY, DECEMBER 6, 1984

INTERJECTION (NAME UNCLEAR) THERE IS ONE OTHER PERIPHERAL BUT VERY IMPORTANT MATTER WHICH WOULD BE GRATEFUL IF HE WOULD SAY SOMETHING ABOUT AND THAT IS THE QUESTION OF THE LONG-TERM FATE OF THE VIETNAMESE REFUGEES IN HK.

MY RIGHT HONOURABLE FRIEND WILL BE AWARE OF THE DIFFICULTIES THAT THE HK ADMINISTRATION IS HAVING IN GETTING THOSE REFUGEES PLACED THROUGHOUT THE WORLD, AND OF THE RELUCTANCE OF HM GOVERNMENT, HAVING DONE A GREAT DEAL. TO TAKE ANY MORE REFUGEES NOW. AND I WOULD BE GRATEFUL IF MY RIGHT HONOURABLE FRIEND COULD CONFER WITH MY OTHER RIGHT HONOURABLE FRIEND THE HOME SECRETARY TO MAKE SURE THAT WE DO TAKE SOME REFUGEES OURSELVES AND THAT WE MAKE EVERY EFFORT TO ENCOURAGE OTHER COUNTRIES TO DO SO ALSO.

HOWE: AGAIN THAT THANKS TO MY HONOURABLE FRIEND FOR RAISING THAT POINT, IT DOES, OF COURSE, GO OUTSIDE THE FRAME OF THE PARTICULAR DEBATE I AM CONCERNED WITH NOW, THE COMMENDING TO THE HOUSE THIS AGREEMENT. AND IN SO FAR AS IT IS WITHIN THE SCOPE OF TODAY'S DEBATE I AM SURE OUR HONOURABLE FRIEND WILL HAVE SOMETHING TO SAY ABOUT IT IN HIS SPEECH AT THE END, BUT IT DOES TAKE US ON TO RATHER DIFFERENT TERRITORY.

INTERJECTION (NAME UNCLEAR) : MY RIGHT HONOURABLE FRIEND HAS SET AT REST THE WORRY ABOUT THE ROLE OF THE PEOPLE'S LIBERATION ARMY WITHIN THE REGION, THAT IT WILL NOT BE INVOLVED IN INTERNAL SECURITY, BUT THERE IS ANOTHER WORRY AND THAT IS THAT CONSCRIPTION MIGHT BE APPLIED. MIGHT I SUGGEST TO HIM THAT THAT IS A WORRY THAT SHOULD BE SET AT REST AS SOON AS POSSIBLE, AND WOULD IT NOT BE A GOOD IDEA TO ESTABLISH SOME INTERNAL SECURITY FORCE FOR POLICING THE FRONTIER WITH THE REST OF CHINA SO THAT YOUNG PEOPLE IN HK CAN SERVE IN THAT BODY AND NOT BE IN ANY WAY SUBJECT TO THE POSSIBILITY OF CONSCRIPTION INTO THE PLA?

HOWE. IT IS OBVIOUSLY IMPORTANT THAT THE ARRANGEMENTS THAT ARE TO BE IN PLACE AFTER 1997 WHEREBY PUBLIC ORDER IS THE RESPONSIBILITY OF THE GOVERNMENT OF THE SPECIAL ADMINISTRATIVE REGION SHOULD BE CONSIDERED AND DEVELOPED SO FAR AS NECESSARY. ON THE PARTICULAR POINT OF CONSCRIPTION, THE HONOURABLE MEMBER HAS RAISED, THAT IS NOT MENTIONED IN THE AGREEMENT. THE CHINESE GOVERNMENT HAS NOT SUGGESTED THAT THERE WOULD BE CONSCRIPTION AND THIS IS THEREFORE THERE IS NO REASON TO ASSUME THAT THERE WOULD BE SUCH A THING. I CAN'T SAY MORE THAN THAT AT THIS STAGE.

HOWE I MUST TRY AND DRAW TO A CLOSE. I BELIEVE, MY DEPUTY SPEAKER, THAT THERE HAS EMERGED FROM THESE NEGOTIATIONS A BOLD AND IMAGINATIVE PLAN FOR THE FUTURE OF HONG KONG. THE CONCEPT OF MAINTAINING TWO SEPARATE POLITICAL, ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL SYSTEMS WITHIN ONE COUNTRY IS A FAR-SIGHTED ONE, WHICH IS CLOSELY ASSO- CIATED WITH CHAIRMAN DENG XIAOPING HIMSELF. AS A MEANS OF RECONCILING THE APPARENTLY IRRECONCILABLE, IT COULD HAVE IMPORTANT IMPLICATIONS FOR PROBLEMS IN OTHER PARTS OF THE WORLD. I AM GREATLY ENCOURAGED BY THE FAVOURABLE RECEPTION OF THIS DRAFT AGREEMENT INTERNATIONALLY, AND PARTICULARLY BY THE MAJOR INDUSTRIALISED NATIONS WHO CAN PLAY SUCH AN IMPORTANT PART IN HONG KONG'S FUTURE PROSPERITY.

NINETEEN