XN000022-1987-05-30 — Page 15

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WE HAVE JUST RECENTLY HAD A NEW OFFER OF RESETTLEMENT FROM THE UK. BOTH THE UK GOVERNMENT AND THE HONG KONG GOVERNMENT WILL BE USING THAT OFFER TO GO TO OTHER RESETTLEMENT COUNTRIES AND SAY, +WHAT MORE ARE YOU NOW PREPARED TO DO TO TAKE PEOPLE FROM HONG KONG?+

AT THE MOMENT, THE OUTFLOW FOR RESETTLEMENT IS GREATER THAN THE INFLOW, THE TRICKLE INFLOW, OF NEW REFUGEES, BUT THE OUTFLOW IS NOT FAST ENOUGH AT THE MOMENT. WE WOULD LIKE IT TO BE FASTER.

Q: JAMES TAM, ARE WE HAVING ANY NEW SOLUTION TO THE PROBLEM BECAUSE RESETTLEMENT NUMBERS ARE DECREASING IN THE PAST FEW YEARS. DO YOU HAVE ANYTHING IN MIND TO IMPROVE THE SITUATION?

A:

LONGER TERM, THERE IS THOUGHT BEING GIVEN AND CONSULTATION GOING ON BETWEEN A NUMBER OF DIFFERENT GOVERNMENTS. ABOUT HOW TO ACHIEVE A LONG TERM SOLUTION WHICH MIGHT, FOR INSTANCE, INVOLVE RETURNING TO VIETNAM, PEOPLE WHO ARE DEFINED AS ECONOMIC MIGRANTS+ RATHER THAN STRAIGHT POLITICAL REFUGEES. THOSE DISCUSSIONS ARE GOING ON NOW.

TO BE ABLE TO DO THAT, YOU NEED TWO PRE-CONDITIONS. THE FIRST AND VERY SIMPLE ONE IS THAT THE GOVERNMENT OF VIETNAM HAS TO BE PREPARED TO ACCEPT PEOPLE BACK, OTHERWISE YOU CAN'T DO IT. THE SECOND IS, THE INTERNATIONAL COMMUNITY WOULD QUITE RIGHTLY WISH TO BE ASSURED THAT PEOPLE SENT BACK ARE GOING TO BE DECENTLY TREATED.

SO, UNTIL YOU HAVE THOSE TWO CONDITIONS IN PLACE, YOU CAN'T PROCEED WITH A PROGRAMME OF REPATRIATION.

Q: CHAN CHUNG-KWUN (ORIENTAL DAILY NEWS), SIR, I WOULD LIKE TO PURSUE ON THE GREEN PAPER AGAIN. THE SCOPE OF THE GREEN PAPER IS RATHER LIMITED, ACCORDING TO SOME CRITICS, WOULD YOU ENCOURAGE THE PUBLIC TO EXPRESS OPINIONS AND VIEWS ON TOPICS BEYOND THE SCOPE OF THE GREEN PAPER?

A: THERE ARE, OF COURSE, A LARGE NUMBER OF ISSUES DEALT WITH IN THE GREEN PAPER. I HAVE HEARD SOME PEOPLE SAY THAT TOO MANY ISSUES ARE DEALT WITH IN THE GREEN PAPER. NOW, IF PEOPLE HAVE VIEWS OUTSIDE THE SCOPE OF THE GREEN PAPER, THEN THEY SHOULD STILL PUT THEM FORWARD. IF THEY ARE FAR REMOTE IN SUBJECT FROM WHAT THE GREEN PAPER IS DISCUSSING, SAY, THEY WERE ON TRADE POLICY, TO TAKE A RATHER RIDICULOUS EXAMPLE, THEN YOU CAN'T EXPECT THAT TO BE TAKEN INTO ACCOUNT. BUT IF THEY ARE CLOSELY RELATED TO THE SUBJECTS BEING DISCUSSED IN THE GREEN PAPER, THEN, OF COURSE, THE GOVERNMENT WILL TAKE INTO ACCOUNT VIEWS THAT ARE EXPRESSED.

Q:

ANN BROCKLEHURST, REUTERS, I WOULD LIKE TO ASK YOU IF YOU ARE CONCERNED ABOUT THIS GROWING NUMBER OF HONG KONG RESIDENTS WHO ARE LEAVING HONG KONG FOR COUNTRIES LIKE CANADA AND AUSTRALIA?

/A: FOR A