XN000022-1989-05-10 — Page 29

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WEDNESDAY, MAY 10, 1989

"IT IS A SITUATION, HE SAID.

"IT CANNOT BE SOLVED BUT IT MUST BE ADDRESSED,

"

HE NOTED.

"THOSE WHO WISH TO LEAVE WILL ALWAYS BE FREE TO DO 80, WHO WISH TO RETURN MUST ALWAYS BE MADE WELCOME THOUGH THEY SHOULD EXPECT A SPECIAL BONUS ON TOP," HE SAID.

THOSE NOT

MR TSAO SAID THAT THE GOVERNMENT, SINCE IT STARTED LOOKING INTO THE EMIGRATION SITUATION ONE YEAR AGO, NOW HAD A GOOD GRASP OF THE OVERALL NUMBERS LEAVING.

"THESE FIGURES CAN OF COURSE ONLY BE ESTIMATES SOCIETY LIKE OURS THESE COULD HARDLY BE ANYTHING ELSE SATISFIED THAT OUR ESTIMATES ARE REASONABLY ACCURATE.

++

IN A FREE BUT WE ARE

"THEY SHOW THAT EMIGRATION IS NOW LEVELLING OFF AT A LITTLE OVER DOUBLE THE RATE PREVAILING IN THE EARLY 1980s," HE SAID.

"THAT IS A SERIOUS SITUATION, BUT IT FALLS A LONG WAY SHORT OF THE CALAMITY PROPAGATED BY THE RUMOUR MILL ONE YEAR AGO," MR TSAO POINTED OUT.

HE SAID THE KNOWLEDGE OF PROFILE OF THOSE LEAVING HAD IMPROVED AND THERE WAS A CLEARER VIEW OF THEIR AGE BREAKDOWN, EDUCATION LEVEL AND THE EMPLOYMENT BREAKDOWN.

IN THE AREAS OF EDUCATION LEVEL AND EMPLOYMENT BREAKDOWN THE GOVERNMENT HAD ESTABLISHED INFORMATION SYSTEMS TO IMPROVE ITS KNOWLEDGE STILL FURTHER, MR TSAO NOTED.

"IN ALL THAT WE HAVE DONE, AND IN ALL THAT WE PROPOSE ΤΟ DO, WE WILL OF COURSE HONOUR THE UNDERTAKING THAT I GAVE TO THIS COUNCIL LAST YEAR: THERE WILL BE NO ENCROACHMENT ON THE FREEDOM OF THE INDIVIDUAL. HE SAID.

"

TURNING TO COUNTER-MEASURES, MR TSAO EMPHASISED THAT THIS A RESPONSIBILITY SHARED BY MANY AND WAS NOT RESTRICTED TO THE

WAS

GOVERNMENT.

"AS A RECENT REPORT TO THE EXECUTIVE COUNCIL SHOWED, THE OF EMIGRATION IS BEING TAKEN INTO ACCOUNT BY A NUMBER OF BRANCHES DEPARTMENTS.

FACT AND

"IN NOTING THAT REPORT, THE EXECUTIVE COUNCIL DIRECTED THAT EFFORTS SHOULD CONTINUE IN A NUMBER OF AREAS, HE SAID.

MR TSAO POINTED OUT THAT FACT FINDING INTO EMIGRATION MUST CONTINUE SO THAT THE UNDERSTANDING OF THE SITUATION WAS AS COMPLETE AS POSSIBLE.

AXE

"I MIGHT JUST ADD THAT IN THAT AREA, WE HAVE NO PARTICULAR TO GRIND. WE ARE CERTAINLY NOT PUBLISHING FIGURES TO ADVANCE A PARTICULAR LINE OF ARGUMENT.

"WE SIMPLY .....................