XN000022-1988-06-15 — Page 36

7

WEDNESDAY, JUNE 15, 1988

34

GATEWAY FOR BOAT PEOPLE IS CLOSED: GOVERNOR

HONG KONG SIMPLY CANNOT GO ON PLAYING HOST TO A NEVER-ENDING STREAM OF PEOPLE LEAVING VIETNAM

BOAT, HOPING FOR RESETTLEMENT RESETTLEMENT ARE INCREASINGLY SAID TODAY (WEDNESDAY).

BY ELSEWHERE, WHEN THE PROSPECTS OF SUCH SLIM, THE GOVERNOR, SIR DAVID WILSON,

"THE MESSAGE WHICH OUGHT TO GO BACK TO VIETNAM NOW IS THOSE WHO SEEK TO COME TO HONG KONG LOOKING FOR RESETTLEMENT AND LEAVING ESSENTIALLY FOR ECONOMIC REASONS CANNOT HOPE TO FIND IN HONG KONG A GATEWAY TO RESETTLEMENT ELSEWHERE, SIR DAVID SAID.

++

"THAT GATEWAY IS CLOSED, AND FOR THOSE PEOPLE SIMPLY BE A PLACE OF TEMPORARY DETENTION PENDING

VIETNAM, HE SAID.

HONG KONG WILL THEIR RETURN TO

COUNCIL

SPEAKING TO REPORTERS AFTER ATTENDING A LEGISLATIVE MEETING, SIR DAVID SAID WHAT HONG KONG WAS DOING NOW WAS TREATING THOSE WHO ARRIVE BY BOAT FROM VIETNAM AS ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS.

IF SAID: "AFTER THEY ARRIVE, THEY WILL BE SCREENED ΤΟ SEE WHETHER THEY JUSTIFY BEING TREATED AS REFUGEES UNDER UNHCR CRITERIA. HONG KONG, YOU MIGHT SAY, IS GOING TO BE A PLACE OF TEMPORARY REFUGE FOR GENUINE REFUGEES.

"WE ARE NOT GOING TO PUSH OUT TO SEA, FORCE OUT то SEA THOSE WHO INS1ST ON COMING HERE, BUT IF THEY INSIST ON COMING HERE, THEN THEY MUST TAKE THE CONSEQUENCES OF THE NEW POLICY," HE ADDED.

SIR DAVID WENT ON TO SAY THAT IF THERE WERE PEOPLE IN VIETNAM WHO HOPED TO REJOIN THEIR FAMILIES OVERSEAS, THERE WERE PROPER CHANNELS TO DO SO.

"THAT IS THE ORDERLY DEPARTURE PROGRAMME THAT'S A LEGAL WAY AND IT'S A SAFE WAY," HE SAID.

ORGANISED

BY UNHCR,

ASKED WHETHER VIETNAM WOULD TAKE BACK THE REFUGEES, SIR DAVID SAID THAT WAS WHAT HONG KONG SHOULD NOW WORK ON.

SIR DAVID SAID: "UP TO NOW, AS YOU KNOW, VIETNAM HAS REFUSED TO TAKE BACK PEOPLE. OTHER COUNTRIES IN THE WORLD, WHEN THEY HAVE PEOPLE LEAVING THEIR TERRITORIES ILLEGALLY, WOULD TAKE THOSE PEOPLE BACK.

So, THOSE

"VIETNAM HAS SO FAR NOT AGREED TO DO THAT. THERE HAVE BEEN A NUMBER OF ATTEMPTS TO PERSUADE VIETNAM THAT THEY SHOULD DO ATTEMPTS WILL CONTINUE.

/"ONE OF