XN000022-1985-09-26 — Page 4

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THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 26, 1985

THE FOREIGN AND COMMONWEALTH OFFICE HAS SAID IT WILL MAKE RESOLUTION OF HONG KONG'S VIETNAMESE REFUGEE PROBLEM A MAJOR PRIORITY IN ITS DEALINGS WITH FOREIGN GOVERNMENTS.

THE GOVERNMENT SPOKESMAN SAID THAT FOLLOWING THE PUBLICATION OF THE WHITE PAPER, A MAJOR DIPLOMATIC EFFORT WILL BE MOUNTED BY THE BRITISH AND HONG KONG GOVERNMENTS TO PERSUADE OTHER COUNTRIES TO OFFER ADDITIONAL RESETTLEMENT PLACES TO VIETNAMESE REFUGEES FROM HONG KONG, THE BRITISH GOVERNMENT WILL TAKE ADVANTAGE OF ANY SUITABLE OPPORTUNITIES THAT ARISE IN THE NEAR FUTURE TO PRESS HONG KONG'S CASE WITH OTHER GOVERNMENTS, HE ADDED.

THE SPOKESMAN SAID THAT THE HONG KONG GOVERNMENT PROPOSES TO CONVENE BILATERAL MEETINGS WITH THE REPRESENTATIVES OF THE MAJOR RESETTLEMENT COUNTRIES HERE. USING BRITAIN'S INITIATIVE AS A PLATFORM, THE REPRESENTATIVES WILL BE ASKED TO SEEK ADDITIONAL RESETTLEMENT PLACES AS PART OF A BURDEN SHARING SOLUTION TO HONG KONG'S VIETNAMESE REFUGEE PROBLEM. AS FAR AS POSSIBLE, THESE MEETINGS WILL BE ARRANGED BEFORE THE UNHCR EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE MEETS IN GENEVA FROM OCTOBER 7 TO 17.

A SENIOR HONG KONG GOVERNMENT OFFICER WILL ATTEND THE EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE MEETING IN GENEVA, IN ADDITION TO SPEAKING AT THE FORMAL PROCEEDINGS, HE WILL HOLD A SERIES OF BILATERAL AND MULTI-LATERAL MEETINGS WITH THE REPRESENTATIVES OF THE RESETTLEMENT COUNTRIES WHO ARE ATTENDING THE EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE. HE WILL BE ASSISTED AND SUPPORTED BY STAFF FROM THE HONG KONG GOVERNMENT OFFICE IN GENEVA.

FOLLOWING THE EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE MEETING, THE SPOKESMAN SAID THAT THE HONG KONG REPRESENTATIVE WILL VISIT THE HONG KONG GOVERNMENT OFFICES IN BRUSSELS, LONDON, NEW YORK AND WASHINGTON TO BRIEF THEM ON DEVELOPMENTS AT THE MEETING IN GENEVA AND TO DISCUSS HOW BEST THEY CAN CONTINUE TO LOBBY FOR MORE RESETTLEMENT PLACES.

+ONCE THESE INITIATIVES HAVE BEEN COMPLETED, IN CONJUNCTION WITH THE UNHCR, THE GOVERNMENT WILL CONTINUE TO PRESS RESETTLEMENT COUNTRIES TO RESPOND FAVOURABLY TO BRITAIN'S DECISION TO ACCEPT MORE REFUGEES FROM HONG KONG. THE OBJECTIVE WILL BE TO SET CLEAR REALISTIC TARGETS WHICH WILL ACT AS AN INCENTIVE FOR THE RESETTLEMENT COUNTRIES, HE ADDED.

REFERRING TO THE BACKGROUND TO HONG KONG'S REFUGEE PROBLEM, THE SPOKESMAN EXPLAINED THAT THE FIRST VIETNAMESE REFUGEES TO

I ARRIVE HERE WERE THE 3 743 ON BOARD THE CLARA MAERSK IN MAY 1975. THEREAFTER, REFUGEES CONTINUED TO ARRIVE AND THE TRICKLE OF THE FOLLOWING YEARS TURNED INTO A FLOOD IN THE FIRST SEVEN MONTHS OF 1979 WHEN 66 045 ARRIVED.

THE RATE OF ARRIVALS FELL SHARPLY AFTER JULY 1979. NEVERTHELESS, ARRIVALS SINCE THEN HAVE BEEN SUBSTANTIAL

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6 788 IN 1980, 8 470 IN 1981, 7 836 IN 1982, 3 651 IN 1983 AND 2 230 IN 1984. HE SAID THAT 873 REFUGEES HAD ARRIVED DURING THE FIRST EIGHT MONTHS OF 1985. ALL REFUGEES HAVE BEEN GIVEN ASYLUM: NO ONE HAS BEEN TURNED AWAY.

/ALTHOUGH THE