XN000022-1987-10-24 — Page 19

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SATURDAY, OCTOBER 24, 1987

QUESTION (INAUDIBLE).

DISCUSSED

THAT

CENT

HAVE

SIR DAVID: I

THAT BOTH WITH PEOPLE ON THE HILL AND ALSO WITH MEMBERS OF THE ADMINISTRATION AND I EXPLAINED THAT FOR HONG KONG THIS IS A GROWING PROBLEM; THE NUMBERS YOU MAY WELL BE FAMILIAR WITH. BUT THE CRUCIAL ONES, FOR HONG KONG, ARE ARRIVALS FROM VIETNAM THIS YEAR HAVE GONE UP BY MORE THAN 50 PER OVER LAST YEAR AND RE-SETTLEMENT OPPORTUNITIES FROM HONG KONG GONE DOWN BY JUST UNDER 50 PER CENT, AND THAT IN ITSELF SHOWS THE PROBLEM. WHAT I'VE BEEN SAYING IS THAT ONE NEEDS TO LOOK AT THE SOLUTION IN TWO PARTS. ONE IS CONTINUING RE-SETTLEMEnt of PEOPLE WHO ARE NOW IN HONG KONG AND SIMILAR PLACES OF FIRST ASYLUM. IT IS ESSENTIAL IF FIRST ASYLUM IS TO BE GIVEN, THAT THERE SHOULD ALSO BK RE-SETTLEMENT OPPORTUNITY, THAT'S TO DEAL WITH IMMEDIATE AND PRESENT PROBLEM. BUT CLEARLY WE HAVE A LONG TERM AND A FUTURK PROBLEM, AND THAT IS THE DIFFICULTY THAT ARISES FROM THE FACT THAT MOST OF THESE PEOPLE NOW ARRIVING ARE LEAVING VIETNEM, PROBABLY FOR ECONOMIC REASONS, RATHER THAN REASONS OF POLITICAL PERSECUTION, AND THAT'S THE REASON WHY IT'S SO DIFFICULT TO RE-SETTLE THEM. THE UNITED STATES, FOR INSTANCE, SAYS THAT MOST OF THE PEOPLE IN HONG KONG DON'T QUALIFY UNDER THEIR PROGRAM. SO I'VE ALSO SAID WE NEED TO BE LOOKING TO A LONGER TERM SOLUTION WHEREBY IT'S POSSIBLE TO SENT BACK то VIETNEM, IN THE SAME WAY AS YOU WOULD TO ANY OTHER PLACES, THOSE WHO HAVE LEFT BY ILLEGAL MEANS IN ORDER TO SEEK ECONOMIC ADVANTAGE. ΤΟ DO THAT, FIRST OF ALL YOU HAVE TO GET THE AGREEMENT OF THE VIETNAMESE GOVERNMENT AND SECONDLY, YOU HAVE TO MAKE SURE THAT PEOPLE ARE BEING SENT BACK IN CONDITIONS WHICH ARE ACCEPTABLE. SO FAR, THE VIETNAMESE GOVERNMENT HAS BEEN ADAMANT IN NOT ACCEPTING PEOPLE BACK EXCEPT ON WHAT THEY CALL A CASE BY CASE BASIS WHICH HAS AMOUNTED TO SIX PEOPLE UP TO NOW. SO THERE IS A REAL NEED FOR THE INTERNATIONAL COMMUNITY, THOSE INVOLVED IN THE REFUGEE PROBLEM, BOTH PLACES OF FIRST ASYLUM AND COUNTRIES OF RE-SETTLEMENT TO GET TOGETHER AND TRY WAYS OF ACHIEVING A LONG TERM SOLUTION.

TO WORK OUT

QUESTION (INAUDIBLE).

SIR DAVID: THE NUMBER OF PEOPLE WHO ARE IN THOSE CLOSED CAMPS WOULD MAKE NO IMPACT OF ANY SIGNIFICANCE ON THE LABOR SHORTAGE. THE SIGNAL GIVEN TO VIETNAM IF ONE OPENED THOSE CLOSED CAMPS COULD HAVE A VERY SERIOUS EFFECT. IT COULD BE SEEN FALSELY AS A SIGNAL THAT HONG KONG WAS ACCEPTING FOR RE-SETTLEMENT IN HONG KONG, ANYBODY WHO CAMB FROM VIETNAM. YOU MAY REMEMBER THAT IN JULY THIS YEAR, THERE WAS A RUMOUR GOING THROUGH CERTAIN FARMS IN SOUTHERN CHINA WHERE VIETNAMESE HAD BEEN SETTLED, THAT HONG KONG WAS OPENING UP TO PEOPLE FROM VIETNAM AND THAT AMERICA WAS INCREASING ITS RE-SETTLEMENT PROGRAM. THE RESULT WAS, OVER THE SPACE OF TWO-AND-A-HALF WEEKS, WE SUDDENLY HAD OVER 7,000 PEOPLE WHO ARRIVED IN SMALL BOATS. YOU CAN IMAGINE THE SORT OF EFFECT THERE MIGHT BE IF WE GAVE THE WRONG SIGNAL BY OPENING UP OUR CLOSED CAMPS. IT FOLLOWS FROM THAT THAT THERE IS NO INTENTION TO DO SO.

/QUESTIONER: