XN000022-1989-05-11 — Page 2

THURSDAY, MAY 11, 1989

GOVERNOR RE-AFFIRMS POLICY ON VBP

THE GOVERNOR, SIR DAVID WILSON, TODAY (THURSDAY ! RE-AFFIRMED THE GOVERNMENT'S POLICY TO SEND BACK TO VIETNAM ALL THOSE WHO HAVE ARRIVED AND BEING SCREENED AS NOT GENUINE REFUGEES.

SPEAKING TO REPORTERS AFTER HIS VISIT TO THE HONG KONG PRODUCTIVITY COUNCIL, SIR DAVID SAID THOSE WHO WERE SCREENED OUT COULD NOT SIMPLY SPEND THEIR LIVES IN CAMPS HERE AND THEY MUST BE RETURNED TO THEIR BASE THEY CAME FROM, WHICH IS VIETNAM.

IN

"WE ARE WORKING AS HARD AS WE CAN TO GET THOSE ARRANGEMENTS

AGREEMENT PLACE. BUT TO DO THAT, IT NEEDS THE

OF THE GOVERNMENT OF VIETNAM. THAT IS WHAT WE ARE WORKING ON AT THIS MOMENT.

ABLE

ΤΟ

WITH

TELL "I CAN'T AT THIS STAGE

YOU WHEN WE WILL BE ACHIEVE IT. ALL I CAN SAY IS THAT WE ARE WORKING EXTREMELY HARD THE SUPPORT OF THE BRITISH GOVERNMENT TO DO THAT,' HE SAID.

WAS NOTING THAT HONG KONG

FACING A VERY REAL AND SERIOUS MOMENT PROBLEM AT THE

WITH THE CONTINUING INFLUX OF VERY LARGE

SIR DAVID NUMBERS OF PEOPLE FROM VIETNAM,

SAID THE GOVERNMENT WAS FINDING PLACES TO PUT PEOPLE TEMPORARILY WHILE ARRANGEMENTS WERE BEING MADE FOR THEM TO BE SCREENED OR RETURN TO VIETNAM.

MAKE HE SAID: "AND THEN WE HAVE GOT TO WORK INTERNATIONALLY TO

NOW FACES AND PEOPLE REALISE THE SIZE OF THE PROBLEM THAT HONG KONG TO MAKE THE INTERNATIONAL COMMUNITY SUFFICIENTLY AWARE OF THE TO HELP US WORK OUT AND PUT INTO EFFECT MEASURES TO DEAL WITH IT.

PROBLEM

"THAT MEANS A LOT OF HARDWORK AND A LOT OF THINKING ABOUT HOW TO DEAL WITH THIS PROBLEM.

QUITE

RADICAL

IN REPLY TO A QUESTION, SIR DAVID SAID THE POLICY OF SCREENING SCREENED OUT THOSE WHO ARRIVED AND REPATRIATING TO VIETNAM THE ONES AS NOT BEING GENUINE REFUGEES WAS NOT A SOFT POLICY.

"I DO NOT BELIEVE THAT POLICY HAS CONTRIBUTED TO THE NUMBER PEOPLE COMING HERE," HE ADDED.

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