XN000022-1987-01-07 — Page 12

WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 7, 1987

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THE BRITISH GOVERNMENT SHOULD START TO TALK WITH THE VIETNAMESE AUTHORITIES AS SOON AS POSSIBLE IN ORDER TO FIND A WAY TO COMPLETELY RESOLVE THE PROBLEM OF ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS FLOODING INTO HONG KONG FROM VIETNAM, HE SAID.

THE CHANCE OF OVERSEAS RESETTLEMENT IN THE NEAR FUTURE FOR MANY REFUGEES WHO HAD BEEN STRANDED HERE FOR YEARS WAS VERY REMOTE, WHILE THE NUMBER OF VIETNAMESE REFUGEES ARRIVING AT HONG KONG HAD INCREASED SIGNIFICANTLY.

MOREOVER, THERE WERE INDICATIONS THAT MOST OF THESE NEWCOMERS WERE NOT POLITICAL REFUGEES BUT RATHER ECONOMIC MIGRANTS, HE SAID.

+1 MUST POINT OUT THAT WE MAY HAVE NO OTHER ALTERNATIVE BUT TO CONSIDER TAKING TOUGHER MEASURES IF THERE IS STILL NO SIGN OF IMPROVEMENT IN THE VIETNAMESE REFUGEE PROBLEM,+ HE SAID.

TIME TO SEEK FUNDAMENTAL SOLUTION *****

HONG KONG SHOULD BE ALLOWED TO DEVISE ITS OWN SOLUTION TO THE VIETNAMESE REFUGEE PROBLEM IF BRITAIN IS UNWILLING OR UNABLE TO FORMULATE A SUITABLE RESOLUTION OF THE ISSUE, THE HON JACKIE CHAN SAID IN THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL TODAY (WEDNESDAY).

SPEAKING DURING THE ADJOURNMENT DEBATE, MR CHAN CALLED UPON THE BRITISH GOVERNMENT TO CLARIFY ITS POSITION AND MAKE KNOWN ITS POLICY.

MR CHAN SAID HE HAD ORIGINALLY PINNED HIS HOPES ON THE BRITISH GOVERNMENT TAKING THE LEAD IN RESETTLING MORE VIETNAMESE REFUGEES.

+HOWEVER, THIS SEEMS TO BE TOO MUCH OF WISHFUL THINKING. AS THINGS NOW LOOK, WE HAVE TO DEPEND UPON OURSELVES TO RESOLVE OUR OWN PROBLEM, HE SAID.

NOTING THAT HONG KONG PEOPLE HAD BEEN CONFRONTING THE PROBLEM FOR OVER 10 YEARS, HE FELT THAT THE TIME HAD COME TO SEEK FUNDAMENTAL SOLUTION TO THE PROBLEM.

HOWEVER, MR CHAN STILL HOPED THE BRITISH GOVERNMENT WOULD CONDUCT INFORMAL NEGOTIATIONS WITH THE VIETNAMESE AUTHORITIES AND SEEK A DIPLOMATIC SOLUTION.

HE ALSO ASKED THE UNITED NATIONS TO RE-DEFINE THE MEANING OF +VIETNAMESE REFUGEES+.

MMR CHAN