XN000022-1988-06-15 — Page 37

WEDNESDAY, JUNE 15, 1988

35

SIR

"ONE OF THE MOST RECENT WAS THE FOREIGN SECRETARY, GEOFFREY HOWE, SPEAKING TO THE VIETNAMESE FOREIGN MINISTER IN NEW YORK LAST WEEK. THAT EFFORT WILL BE CONTINUED BY THE BRITISH GOVERNMENT ON BEHALF OF HONG KONG, HE SAID.

WHEN ASKED WHETHER THERE WAS A MESSAGE TO WESTERN GOVERNMENTS ON THE NEW POLICY, SIR DAVID SAID THAT IF THERE WAS TO BE A LOOKING-AFTER OF PEOPLE WHO WERE GENUINE REFUGEES IN THIS PART OF THE WORLD, THE OTHER SIDE OF THAT ARRANGEMENT HAD ΤΟ BE THAT THERE SHOULD BE RESETTLEMENT ELSEWHERE.

"IT CANNOT SIMPLY BE A ONE-SIDED ARRANGEMENT WHERE PEOPLE STOP IN THE TERRITORIES OF SOUTHEAST ASIA AND HONG KONG AND DO NOT HAVE A CHANCE TO DO WHAT THEY WISH TO DO, WHICH IS TO GO ON ELSEWHERE, HE SAID.

SIR DAVID ALSO SAID THAT THE NEW POLICY WOULD NOT DESTROY THE IMAGE OF THE TERRITORY, BECAUSE HONG KONG HAD PLAYED ITS PART TO THE FULL IN LOOKING AFTER PEOPLE COMING BY BOAT FROM VIETNAM.

"WHEN THERE WAS AN UNDERSTANDING IN 1979 THAT ALL, PEOPLE LEAVING VIETNAM BY BOAT WILL BE TREATED AS REFUGEES WITH NO QUESTIONS ASKED, THE OTHER HALF OF THAT UNDERSTANDING WAS THEY WOULD ALSO BE RESETTLED.

"IT'S SELF-EVIDENT TO EVERYBODY THAT THE OTHER HALF OF THAT ARRANGEMENT NO LONGER APPLIES, I BELIEVE PEOPLE WILL FULLY UNDERSTAND THAT HONG KONG MUST NOW DETERMINE WHO IS A GENUINE REFUGEE AND WHO IS NOT.

WORLD.

"I AM SURE THAT WOULD BE WIDELY UNDERSTOOD THROUGHOUT THE

THE GOVERNOR SAID.

REFUTING A SUGGESTION THAT HONG KONG WAS ACTING IN CONCERT WITH OTHER GOVERNMENT, SIR DAVID SAID: "WE HAVE EXPLAINED WHAT WE ARE DOING TO THE GOVERNMENTS OF COUNTRIES OF SOUTHEAST ASIA, MANY OF WHOM FACE THE SAME PROBLEMS. BUT IT WOULD NOT BE RIGHT TO SAY WE ARE ACTING IN CONCERT."

/36