XN000022-1989-05-17 — Page 19

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WEDNESDAY, MAY 17, 1989

HK ALONE CANNOT SOLVE VBP PROBLEM

*

HONG KONG

BOAT

ALONE CANNOT SOLVE THE VIETNAMESE

PEOPLE IROBLEM WITHOUT THE SUPPORT OF THE BRITISH GOVERNMENT, THE UNITED NATIONS AND OTHER COUNTRIES CONCERNED, THE HON TAI CHIN-WAH JEGISLATIVE COUNCIL TODAY (WEDNESDAY).

TOLD THE

SPEAKING IN THE MOTION DEBATE ON VIETNAMESE BOAT PEOPLE, MR TAI SAID THROUGHOUT THE LAST 10 YEARS, HONG KONG HAD PERFORMED A 'LIFEGUARD'S" ROLE, RESCUING THOUSANDS OF REFUGERS AND NON-REFUGEES FROM THE CHINA SEA.

HAD

INDEED, IT HAD DONE MORE THAN A LIFEGUARD COULD DO, DESPITE ITS LIMITED RESOURCES AND OTHER CHALLENGING DOMESTIC PROBLEMS THAT IT 10 ENCOUNTER DURING THE TRANSITIONAL PERIOD.

"HOWEVER, A LIFEGUARD'S JOB IS MAINLY ΤΟ RESCUE PEOPLE FROM THE ROUGH SEA. ONE CANNOT EXPECT A LIFEGUARD TO ACT ALSO AS A FOSTER PARENT, OR EVEN ADOPTIVE PARENT, GIVING THE RESCUED A PERMANENT HOME."

11

MR TAI NOTED THAT HONG KONG, AS THE FIRST RECEPTION CENTRE FOR

A LIFEGUARD AND BOAT PEOPLE, HAD BEEN FORCED INTO ACTING BOTH AS

A FOSTER PARENT HOME. SOMETIMES IT WAS EVEN BLAMED BY INTERNATIONAL COMMUNITIES FOR NOT TREATING THE BOAT PEOPLE WELL ENOUGH.

MR TAI POINTED OUT THAT THE PROBLEM OF VIETNAMESE BOAT PEOPLE AD THREATENED THE INTEGRATION AND STABILITY OF SOCIETY.

HE SAID WHILE THE SECRETARY FOR SECURITY WAS TRYING HARD ΤΟ SEEK EMERGENCY CENTRES FOR THE BOAT PEOPLE, MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC WERE ASKING WHY THEY SHOULD TAKE UP THE JOB, AND HOW LONG THEY HAD SHOULDER SUCH A BURDEN.

AND

ADEQUATE

ΤΟ

WAS

THE OPEN CAMP POLICY AND BOAT PEOPLE CAMPS IN RESIDENTIAL COMMUNITIES WITHOUT CAREFUL PLANNING

CONSULTATION TSELF A RISK FOR CRISIS, HE CONTENDED.

"WE ARE TRYING TO ESTABLISH A DIFFERENT COMMUNITY IN A COMMUNITY, AS A SUB-CULTURE WITHIN A DOMINANT CULTURE.

"THIS WOULD THREATEN OUR INTEGRATION AND SOCIAL WOULD ONLY INDUCE UNNECESSARY CONFRONTATION BETWEEN AND LOCAL RESIDENTS.

STABILITY AND

THE GOVERNMENT

HARDSHIP BRING FACED "MOST OF ALL, WE WOULD INCREASE THE THE RESIDENTS IN DISTRICTS WHERE OPEN CAMPS AND RECEPTION CENTRES BRING SITUATED, HE SAID.

BY ARE

./MR TAI