XN000022-1985-05-15 — Page 9

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WEDNESDAY, MAY 15, 1985

+ I WILL BE JUMPING WITH JOY IF THE UNITED KINGDOM WILL ACCEPT 10 000 REFUGEES,+ MR LEE SAID.

+IN FACT, I WILL BE SATISFIED IF THE UNITED KINGDOM ACCEPTS HALF THAT NUMBER,+

HOWEVER, FOR THE RECORD, LAST YEAR THE UNITED KINGDOM ACCEPTED A PATHETIC 88 REFUGEES FROM HONG KONG, OF WHOM ONLY 61 WERE NOT SHIP RESCUE CASES.

+ I HOPE THE UNITED KINGDOM MEANT WHAT IT SAID THAT BRITAIN HAS A SPECIAL RESPONSIBILITY FOR HONG KONG AND I WOULD URGE THE BRITISH GOVERNMENT TO SHOW THAT SPECIAL RESPONSIBILITY BY ACCEPTING THESE VIETNAMESE REFUGEES IN THE QUANTITY THAT MR SOLEY MENTIONED.+

MR LEE SAID HE COULD, WITH A CLEAR CONSCIENCE, SAY THAT THE TREATMENT VIETNAMESE REFUGEES WERE GETTING IN HONG KONG WAS BETTER THAN THAT OF A LOT OF PEOPLE LIVING IN HONG KONG WHO WERE GENUINE HONG KONG RESIDENTS.

WE HAD ALREADY SPENT HALF A BILLION DOLLARS ON THE REFUGEE PROBLEM AND WE WERE CONTINUING TO SPEND MONEY ON A DAILY BASIS OUT OF THE PUBLIC PURSE,

+ IN MY VIEW, WE HAVE DONE MORE THAN OUR SHARE BASED ON HUMANITARIAN GROUNDS OR ON ANY OTHER GROUND, MR LEE SAID.

+VERY FEW PEOPLE REALISE THAT WE HAVE ALREADY ACCEPTED 14 500 REFUGEES INTO OUR COMMUNITY.

+WE CAN STAND UP TO THE WORLD AND TO ANY CRITICISM WITH REGARD TO OUR TREATMENT OF VIETNAMESE REFUGEES.+

HE ASKED WHAT WAS HONG KONG GOVERNMENT POLICY TOWARDS THE REFUGEES AND WHAT WOULD BE THE LONG TERM IMPLICATIONS? DID WE HAVE TO ACCEPT THE REJECTS INTO OUR COMMUNITY? WHAT WAS THE SOLUTION?

ON THE CLOSED CAMP POLICY MR LEE SAID IT WAS A DETERRENT TO VIETNAMESE REFUGEES TO COME TO HONG KONG AND HE URGED THE GOVERNMENT NOT TO REMOVE THE POLICY.

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