XN000022-1988-05-31 — Page 23

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TUESDAY, MAY 31, 1988

CHEUNG CHI-KONG (TVB): SIR GEOFFREY, IF OTHER COUNTRIES IN THE REGION ARE TO ADOPT TOUGHER MEASURES TO STOP THE INFLUX OF VR'S, WILL THE BRITISH GOVERNMENT AGREE HONG KONG TO ADOPT THE SAME MEASURES?

SIR GEOFFREY: WELL, I'VE INDICATED THE APPROACH FROM WHAT I'VE ALREADY SAID. THE FACT THAT OTHER COUNTRIES ARE THEMSELVES MOVING AWAY FROM ANY VIEW THAT THOSE LEAVING VIETNAM CAN BE PROPERLY BE IDENTIFIED AS POLITICAL REFUGEES IS OBVIOUSLY AN IMPORTANT FACTOR.

BERNARD FONG (SOUTH CHINA MORNING POST): SIR GEOFFREY, HOW CAN BRITAIN CONVINCE VIETNAM TO WITHDRAW FROM KAMPUCHEA AND WELCOME BACK THE REFUGEES, WHEN THE WEST HAS CONSISTENTLY REFUSED TO ASSIST VIETNAM WHICH IS NOW FACING A VERY GRAVE FAMINE?

SIR GEOFFREY: THE WEST HAS DECLINED TO OFFER AID ΤΟ VIETNAM

OF BECAUSE

HER FOR TWO REASONS. ONE,

PERSISTENCE IN THE UNLAWFUL OCCUPATION OF CAMBODIA. AND TWO, BECAUSE IT IS BY NO MEANS CLEAR THAT ASSISTANCE TO VIETNAM IN THE CONTEXT OF ITS PRESENT ECONOMIC POLICY IS LIKELY

ACHIEVE ANY GOOD AT ALL. THE TWO PRESSURES I'VE DESCRIBED ARE ENTIRELY CONSISTENT.

ΤΟ

VIETNAM NEEDS TO LEARN THE LESSON THAT MORE AND MORE COUNTRIES AROUND THE WORLD HAVE LEARNT, THAT THERE IS NO FUTURE IN FOLLOWING THE KIND OF TOTALITARIAN ECONOMIC POLICIES THAT SHE HAS FOLLOWED FOR SOME TIME. IF SHE LEARNS THAT LESSON, SHE'LL BEGIN TO FIND THE WORLD READY TO RESPOND AS WE HAVE DONE IN MANY OTHER CASES. BUT VIETNAM, ΤΟ THE IMMENSE COST TO THE VIETNAMESE PEOPLE, IS STILL ENGAGED IN THE BUSINESS OF TESTING STALINISM TO DESTRUCTION, AND WE SHOULD NOT GIVE ANY SUPPORT TO THAT PROCESS.

THE

CLAUDIA MO (AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE): SIR, IN THE DRAFT BASIC LAW, IT IS SAID THAT PEKING WILL HAVE THE RIGHT TO INTERPRET AND AMEND BASIC LAW. DO YOU THINK THIS CONTRADICTS THE PROMISE OF A HIGH OF AUTONOMY IN POST-1997 HONG KONG?

DEGREE

CONDUCTING A SIR GEOFFREY: I'M NOT NOW GOING TO BE DRAWN INTO

ON THE BASIS OF THE BASIC LAW. I SAID CONSTITUTIONAL EXEGESIS YESTERDAY, THERE ARE OBVIOUSLY DIFFICULT AREAS TO BE RESOLVED. FIND OTHER PARTS OF THE SAME DOCUMENT IDENTIFYING THE EXTENT TO MATTERS OF THAT KIND SHOULD BE DETERMINED BY THE COURTS KONG SAR WITHIN HONG KONG ITSELF. 1 THINK IT IS THAT THAT SHOULD BE AND 19

YOU'LL

WHICH OF THE HONG KIND OF TOPIC THE SUBJECT OF CONSIDERATION BY THOSE NOW

MAKING REPRESENTATIONS ON THE BASIC LAW.

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