XN000022-1988-05-31 — Page 21

TUESDAY, MAY 31, 1988

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BUT WITH CONSIDER

FANNY WONG (ORIENTAL DAILY NEWS): SIR,

WE ALL KNOW THAT WE NEED A LONG-TERM (INAUDIBLE. ) SOLUTION FOR THE VR PROBLEM. THE RECENT INFLUX OF NEW ARRIVALS TO HONG KONG, WOULD YOU TO INCREASE THE QUOTA OF VR'S TO UK IN THE SHORT TERM TO EASE OUR PROBLEM?

SIR GEOFFREY: 1 DON'T THINK THAT THAT WOULD REALLY BE ADDRESSING ITSELF TO THE FUNDAMENTAL PART OF THE PROBLEM. INDEED, IT MIGHT BE TENDING TO MAKE THE SITUATION MORE DIFFICULT. WHAT I SAID IN MY STATEMENT IS THAT WE SIMPLY HAVE TO GET RID OF THE IMPRESSION THAT HONG KONG IS OR CAN BE A TRANSIT POINT TO THE REST OF THE WORLD FUTURE THAT DOESN'T AND CANNOT EXIST.

то A

AND THE REST OF THE WORLD, WHETHER BRITAIN OR ANY OTHER COUNTRY, CANNOT BE EXPECTED TO GO ON ACTING AS A RECEPTION AREA FOR PEOPLE WHO ARE NOT REFUGEES IN THE TRUE SENSE OF THE WORD. SO I DON'T THINK THAT THAT KIND OF INSTANT RESPONSE WOULD BE HELPFUL. THE KEY THING 15 TO CHECK THE FLOW, AND ONE OF THE MEASURES SUGGESTED TO ACHIEVE THAT IS, OF COURSE, THE RE-DEFINITION OF THE PEOPLE AND THEIR CATEGORIES.

FRANK CHOI (HONGKONG STANDARD): SIR GEOFFREY, YOU SAID THERE'S A WAY TO DISCRIMINATE BETWEEN POLITICAL AND ECONOMIC REFUGEES; DO YOU MEAN A SCREEN TEST IS POSSIBLE FOR HONG KONG?

SIR GEOFFREY: THAT IS THE KIND OF TEST THAT HAS BEEN ADOPTED IN COMPARABLE SITUATIONS IN OTHER PARTS OF THE WORLD. THERE IS A WELL RECOGNISED DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THOSE WHO HAVE A WELL-FOUNDED FEAR OF POLITICAL OR RELIGIOUS PERSECUTION ON THE ONE HAND, AND THOSE WHO DO NOT FALL INTO THAT NARROW CATEGORY.

KATHERINE MA {HONG KONG ECONOMIC TIMES): NEWSPAPERS REPORTED THAT SOME THAI OFFICIALS WILL GO AROUND AND THE ASEAN COUNTRIES TO DRAFT UP AN AGREEMENT OF THEIR OWN, OTHER THE GENEVA CONFERENCE AND IN SUCH CASE DO YOU THINK

WELL, HONG KONG IS ONE OF THE MEMBERS THEY WANT TO ACCEPT. DO YOU THINK IN CASE OF DIFFERENT VIEWS WITH BRITAIN, HONG KONG CAN STILL JOIN IN SUCH AN AGREEMENT?

SIR GEOFFREY,

LOBBY

THAN

OF

SIR GEOFFREY: WELL, I THINK THAT IS A RATHER LONG RANGE QUESTION BUILT ON A NUMBER OF HYPOTHESES. I DON'T KNOW. I AM AFRALD, THE PARTICULAR CANVASSING EXERCISE YOU ARE CONCERNED, BUT OBVIOUSLY AS FAR AS THE POSITION HERE IN HONG KONG IS CONCERNED, THAT 15 A MATTER ON WHICH THE HONG KONG GOVERNMENT AND HER MAJESTY'S GOVERNMENT HAVE BEEN CONSULTING AND WILL CONTINUE TO CONSULT CLOSELY.

ANTHONY FLORES (COMMERCIAL RADIO): SIR GEOFFREY, HOW WILL YOU BE PRESENTING THE REFUGEE ISSUE WHEN YOU DISCUSS THIS WITH YOUR COLLEAGUES AND WHAT WILL HAPPEN TO THE REFUGEES IF A SOLUTION IS NOT FOUND?

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