THURSDAY, JANUARY 8, 1987
1
PRELIMINARY REPORT ON VR DEBATE SENT TO FCO -- SIR DAVID *****
A PRELIMINARY REPORT ON YESTERDAY'S LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL DEBATE ON THE VIETNAMESE REFUGEE PROBLEM IN HONG KONG HAS ALREADY BEEN SENT TO THE FOREIGN AND COMMONWEALTH OFFICE, THE ACTING GOVERNOR, SIR DAVID AKERS-JONES, SAID TODAY (THURSDAY).
HE ADDED THAT THE VARIOUS OPINIONS EXPRESSED IN THE DEBATE WOULD BE COLLATED AND TRANSMITTED TO LONDON AS SOON AS POSSIBLE.
SPEAKING TO REPORTERS AFTER OPENING THE HONG KONG SOCIETY FOR THE BLIND'S ROYAL HONG KONG JOCKEY CLUB CENTRE FOR THE BLIND, SIR DAVID SAID THIS PROCESS WOULD NOT TAKE VERY LONG.
HE SAID THE GOVERNMENT WOULD NOT SEND ANY OFFICIAL TO LONDON AT THIS STAGE TO LOBBY MINISTERS. +1 THINK WE MUST WAIT UNTIL WE HAVE ALLOWED MINISTERS IN LONDON TIME TO REFLECT UPON THE OPINIONS WHICH WERE EXPRESSED.+
SIR DAVID DESCRIBED YESTERDAY'S DEBATE AS A VERY USEFUL EXPRESSION OF OPINION+ IN HONG KONG.
+1 THINK MEMBERS REFLECTED THE VIEWS OF THE COMMUNITY ABOUT THIS QUESTION. THEY WEREN'T HYSTERICAL REQUESTS. THEY ARE VERY SENSIBLE, VERY RATIONAL REQUESTS IN THE FACE OF A VERY DIFFICULT PROBLEM.+
ASKED TO COMMENT ON THE BRITISH GOVERNMENT'S POSITION ON THE VIETNAMESE REFUGEE ISSUE, SIR DAVID SAID BRITAIN HAD A PROBLEM WITH MANY PEOPLE GOING THERE FROM ALL OVER THE WORLD, NOT JUST FROM HONG KONG.
+SO WE HAVE TO HAVE AN APPRECIATION OF BRITAIN'S PROBLEM AS WELL AS OUR OWN, HE SAID, ADDING THAT A RATIONAL APPROACH TO THIS WAS VERY NECESSARY.
ASKED WHETHER HE WAS IN FAVOUR OF THE IDEA OF REPATRIATION, HE SAID: IF IT CAN BE ACHIEVED IN A WAY THAT WE CAN BE SURE IN HONG KONG THAT THE PEOPLE WHO ARE REPATRIATED AREN'T VICTIMISED IN A WAY WHICH WOULD NOT BE ACCEPTABLE TO US.+
ON THE QUESTION OF HONG KONG'S NEXT GOVERNOR, SIR DAVID SAID THE EXECUTIVE COUNCIL DID NOT DISCUSS THE MATTER AT ITS MEETING ON TUESDAY. HE REITERATED THAT AN ANNOUNCEMENT WAS EXPECTED IN A WEEK OR TWO.
HE POINTED OUT THAT SIR GEOFFREY HOWE AND THE BRITISH PRIME MINISTER HAD BEEN HAVING A VERY BUSY HOLIDAY SEASON WITH SIR GEOFFREY HAVING BEEN IN SOUTH AMERICA, +AND THEREFORE COMING TO A FINAL DECISION MUST WAIT UNTIL THESE VARIOUS PEOPLE COME TOGETHER IN LONDON.+
/ASKED ABOUT
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