XN000022-1987-01-07 — Page 5

WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 7, 1987

+WE REQUEST THE HONG KONG GOVERNMENT TO URGE HER MAJESTY'S GOVERNMENT MOST VIGOROUSLY TO TAKE UP THE INITIATIVE IN RESETTLEMENT AND IN NEGOTIATING WITH THE VIETNAMESE AUTHORITIES FOR REPATRIATION, SHE SAID.

SHE SAID SHE BELIEVED MOST STRONGLY THAT BRITAIN HAD A DUTY TO TAKE UP THIS ROLE.

+THIS IS AN OPPORTUNITY FOR IT TO SHOW THE PEOPLE OF HONG KONG THAT IT IS GENUINELY CONCERNED ABOUT THE INTERESTS OF HONG KONG THROUGH POSITIVE AND DECISIVE ACTION, SHE SAID.

MRS FAN SAID CONTINUOUS RESTTLEMENT WAS THE SHORT-TERM SOLUTION TO THE PROBLEM OF VIETNAMESE REFUGEES IN HONG KONG. THE LONG-TERM SOLUTION WAS TO REPATRIATE ECONOMIC MIGRANTS TO VIETNAM ON THE UNDERSTANDING THAT THEY WOULD NOT BE TREATED INHUMANELY.

+THIS REQUIRES AGREEMENT BY THE VIETNAMESE AUTHORITIES AND

CAN ONLY BE ACHIEVED THROUGH DIPLOMATIC CHANNELS.

+AS THIS IS A MATTER OF FOREIGN POLICY HONG KONG HAS NO RIGHT TO TACKLE THE MATTER DIRECTLY. WE HAVE TO RELY ON HMG TAKING UP THIS MATTER WITH THE VIETNAMESE AUTHORITIES, MRS FAN SAID.

SHE ALSO NOTED THAT IN OCTOBER LAST YEAR BRITAIN HAD HALTED ITS INTAKE OF REFUGEES FROM HONG KONG UNDER THE FAMILY REUNION PROGRAMME.

IN MID-DECEMBER LAST YEAR, MAJOR RESETTLEMENT COUNTRIES INDICATED THAT THEIR REFUGEE INTAKE FROM HONG KONG WAS TO BE REDUCED AS THEY WAITED FOR BRITAIN TO TAKE THE LEAD. THEY EXPECTED BRITAIN TO SET AN EXAMPLE IN ACCEPTING REFUGEES FROM HONG KONG.

+THIS IS NOT UNREASONABLE AS HONG KONG IS A BRITISH- ADMINISTERED TERRITORY AND THEREFORE THE RESPONSIBILITY OF BRITAIN, SHE SAID.

THE LACK OF COMMITMENT BY BRITAIN COULD BE VIEWED AS RELUCTANCE TO SHOULDER THIS RESPONSIBILITY, RESULTING IN HONG KONG HAVING TO FACE INCREASING SOCIAL PRESSURE AND HEAVY FINANCIAL BURDEN.

BRITAIN MUST SURELY REALISE THE IMPACT AND THE EFFECT OF ITS ACTION, AND HOW IT WOULD BE INTERPRETED BY OTHER COUNTRIES AND THE PEOPLE OF HONG KONG, SHE ADDED.

+UNDER THESE CIRCUMSTANCES, THE MOST LOGICAL AND HONOURABLE THING TO DO IS FOR HMG TO MAKE A DEFINITE COMMITMENT ON THE NUMBER OF VIETNAMESE REFUGEES IT WILL TAKE FROM HONG KONG IN THE NEXT FEW YEARS. THEREBY SHOWING TO THE PEOPLE OF HONG KONG AND THE INTERNATIONAL COMMUNITY ITS WILLINGNESS TO FULFIL ITS RESPONSIBILITY TOWARDS HONG KONG AND TO CONTRIBUTE TO AN INTERNATIONAL PROBLEM, + SHE SAID.

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