XN000022-1988-08-19 — Page 2

FRIDAY, AUGUST 19, 1988

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GOVERNOR REAFFIRMS POLICY ON BOAT PEOPLE

THE GOVERNOR, SIR DAVID WILSON, TODAY REAFFIRMED THE GOVERNMENT'S POLICY THAT VIETNAMESE BOAT PEOPLE WHO HAVE ARRIVED AFTER JUNE 16 THIS YEAR AND FOUND NOT TO BE GENUINE REFUGFES ARE TO BE TREATED AS ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS AND KEPT IN DETENTION CENTRES UNTIL THEIR EVENTUAL REPATRIATION TO VIETNAM.

SPEAKING TO REPORTERS AT THE AIRPORT ON HIS RETURN FROM LONDON THIS (FRIDAY) AFTERNOON, SIR DAVID SAID THE TRAGEDY OF WHAT WAS HAPPENING AT THE MOMENT WAS HUNDREDS AND THOUSANDS OF PEOPLE WERE SETTING OUT BY UNSAFE BOATS LOOKING FOR RESETTLEMENT ELSEWHERE IN THE WORLD WHICH WAS JUST NOT A REAL POSSIBILITY.

FOR THOSE WHO ARRIVED BEFORE THE CHANGE OF POLICY, THE REGIME WOULD GRADUALLY BE LIBERALISED, SIR DAVID NOTED.

THEY WOULD BE TREATED AS REFUGEES AND THE INTENTION WOULD BE TO TRY TO SEEK RESETTLEMENT PLACES FOR THEM OVERSEAS, HE SAID,

"AFTER ALL, THAT IS WHAT THEY WANT ΤΟ DO. THEY DIDN'T COME HERE HOPING TO STAY IN HONG KONG. THEY CAME HERE HOPING ΤΟ GO ELSEWHERE, THE GOVERNOR ADDED.

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SIR DAVID SAID THAT HE HAD TALKED WITH FOREIGN OFFICE OFFICIALS ON THE DISCUSSIONS THAT HAD TAKEN PLACE ABOUT VIETNAMESE BOAT PEOPLE.

THE GOVERNOR SAID HE WAS ENCOURAGED BY THE FACT THAT WE HAD BEEN ABLE TO HAVE DIRECT DISCUSSIONS WITH VIETNAM ON THIS ISSUE.

HOWEVER, HE CAUTIONED THAT THERE WOULD BE A LONG WAY ΤΟ BEFORK WE ACTUALLY SOLVED THE PROBLEM.

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HE SAID: "THERE ARE TWO KEY ISSUES IN SOLVING IT. ONE IS THE OUTFLOW OF BOAT PEOPLE FROM VIETNAM SHOULD STOP. IT 19 ENCOURAGING THAT THERE HAS BEEN SOME DROP IN NUMBERS RECENTLY BUT THE PROBLEM IS STILL A VERY BIG ONE.

"THE SECOND POINT OBVIOUSLY IS TO START THE RETURN OF PEOPLE WHO ARE DEFINED AS NOT BEING GENUINE REFUGEES.

"I DON'T IMAGINE THAT THIS 19 GOING то HAPPEN VERY QUICKLY. BUT AT LEAST WE HAVE STARTED THE PROCESS OF TALKING TO VIETNAM ABOUT THE PROBLEM AND THAT HAS SOME ENCOURAGEMENT IN IT.

ASKED IF THE GOVERNMENT WOULD PAY FOR THE RETURN OF THE VIETNAMESE BOAT PEOPLE, SIR DAVID SAID THERE HAD BEEN NO DISCUSSION SO FAR ABOUT ANY PAYMENT.

/HE SAID: