XN000022-1987-01-07 — Page 8

WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 7, 1987

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MR HUI NOTED THAT THE BRITISH GOVERNMENT HAD, SINCE

THE INFLUX OF VIETNAMESE REFUGEES INTO HONG KONG IN 1973, OBLIGED THE HONG KONG GOVERNMENT TO ACT AS A PLACE OF FIRST ASYLUM.

HE RECALLED THAT AT THE TIME THE GOVERNMENT HAD AGREED TO ACCEPT THE REFUGEES ON THE UNDERSTANDING THAT THEY WOULD BE RESETTLED IN OTHER COUNTRIES AS SOON AS POSSIBLE.

HOWEVER, HE SAID, OVER THE PAST FEW YEARS THE BRITISH GOVERNMENT HAD NOT ONLY FAILED TO DO ITS BEST TO ALLEVIATE HONG KONG'S BURDEN BY ACCEPTING A REALISTIC NUMBER OF REFUGEES, BUT HAD ALSO INDULGED IN PROCRASTINATION.

THE BRITISH GOVERNMENT HAD PROCRASTINATED IN MAKING KNOWN ITS STANCE ON WHETHER IT WOULD TAKE THE LEAD IN INCREASING THE REFUGEE INTAKE AND ON HOW THE REFUGEE PROBLEM COULD BE SOLVED, HE SAID.

MR HUI ALSO SAID IT WAS ANNOYING THAT WHEN THE GOVERNMENT WAS OBLIGED TO ADOPT THE CLOSED CAMP+ POLICY IN JULY 1982, IN THE FACE OF A CONTINUING INFLUX OF REFUGEES AND DETERIORATING PROSPECTS FOR RESETTLEMENT, SOME BRITISH POLITICIANS HAD CRITICISED THE POLICY AS INHUMANE.

THIS HAD PLACED THE GOVERNMENT INTO A DILEMMA OVER ITS REFUGEE POLICY.

MR HUI NOTED THAT THE GOVERNMENT HAD STATED THAT IN DEALING WITH THE ISSUE EVERYTHING DEPENDED VERY MUCH ON THE BRITISH GOVERNMENT'S ATTITUDE.

SINCE THE BRITISH GOVERNMENT HAD REFUSED TO MAKE A GREATER COMMITMENT AND THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL COULD NOT SIMPLY STAND BY WITH FOLDED ARMS, HE FELT THE GOVERNMENT SHOULD INITIATE MEASURES OF ITS OWN OR COMPEL THE BRITISH GOVERNMENT TO TAKE SPECIFIC ACTIONS.

MR HUI STRESSED THAT THE BRITISH GOVERNMENT SHOULD RESUME TAKING THE LEAD IN ACCEPTING MORE VIETNAMESE REFUGEES FROM HONG KONG SO AS TO INDUCE THE THREE MAIN RESETTLEMENT COUNTRIES, THE UNITED STATES, CANADA AND AUSTRALIA, TO CHANGE THEIR MIND AND NOT REDUCE THEIR 1987 IN TAKES.

HE ALSO URGED THAT THE BRITISH GOVERNMENT SHOULD TAKE ADVANTAGE OF THE RECENT RESHUFFLE IN THE VIETNAMESE GOVERNMENT TO NEGOTIATE A GUARANTEE THAT THOSE REFUGEES WHO MIGHT RETURN HOME OF THEIR OWN WILL OR BE REPATRIATED WOULD NOT BE ILL-TREATED.

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