XN000022-1989-05-17 — Page 24

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WEDNESDAY, MAY 17, 1989

IIK HAS DONE MORE THAN ITS FAIR SHARE

CONFERENCE

CAN

THE UK DELEGATION MUST TELL THE WORLD AT THE GENEVA ON VIETNAMESE BOAT PEOPLE THAT UNLESS THE INTERNATIONAL COMMUNITY

MANDATORY REPATRIATION, SUCCESSFULLY PRESSURE VIETNAM INTO ACCEPTING HONG KONG WILL HAVE TO STOP BEING A PORT OF FIRST ASYLUM.

COUNCIL TODAY

THE HON PAUL CHENG SAID THIS IN THE LEGISLATIVE WEDNESDAY) IN THE MOTION DEBATE ON VIETNAMESE BOAT PEOPLE.

YEARS AS THE MAJOR MR CHENG SAID THAT AFTER SERVING OVER 10

AND BOAT PEOPLE AND HAVING CLEARING HOUSE FOR VIETNAMESE REFUGEES

THAN ITS FAIR SPENT WELL OVER $1.5 BILLION, HONG KONG HAD DONE MORE SHARE.

UNDULY WORRIED ABOUT HE SAID THE TERRITORY NEED NO LONGER BE

AND. INSTEAD, IT SHOULD BE ITS INTERNATIONAL IMAGE AND REPUTATION RECEIVING INTERNATIONAL ACCLAIM FOR ITS CONTRIBUTION TO DATE.

AS IT DID TO CHINESE HONG KONG MUST NOW TURN BACK TO CHINA

IN CHINA ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS, ALL THE BOAT PEOPLE WHO HAD STOPPED OFF

OR ΤΟ ON THEIR WAY HERE. EVEN IF THEY MERELY STOPPED OFF TO "REFUEL" AVOID BAD WEATHER ALONG THE WAY, HE SAID.

CHINA MUST PLAY ITS PART, ESPECIALLY SINCE INDICATED THIS PROBLEM MUST BE RESOLVED BEFORE 1997.

IT HAD

REPEATEDLY

SHOULD NOT GET TOO MR CHENG SAID HE FELT THAT LEGCO MEMBERS

THE VIETNAMESE REFUGEES INVOLVED WITH DISCUSSIONS ON WHERE AND HOW

BE HOUSED, BUT SHOULD AND BOAT PEOPLE SHOULD OR SHOULD NOT

THE HONG CONCENTRATE THEIR EFFORTS IN PRESSING THE UK GOVERNMENT AND KONG ADMINISTRATION TO TAKE A TOUGHER STANCE.

"WE NEED TO FIND WAYS TO SEND

THESE ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS BACK GOVERNMENT, BUT THOSE WHO TO VIETNAM, SO THAT NOT ONLY THE VIETNAMESE ARE PLANNING TO SAIL FOR HONG KONG, KNOW THAT OUR DOOR IS CLOSED.

ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS "THE IDEA OF CHARTERING SHIPS TO BRING THE

SHORELINES, AND OF VIETNAM'S

TRANSFERRING BACK TO WITHIN 12 MILES THEM ONTO SMALLER BOATS

THEIR HOMELAND, THEN POINTING THEM TOWARDS IS A PRACTICAL SOLUTION THAT IS CERTAINLY WORTH FURTHER EXPLORATION.

"THIS METHOD ALSO HAS THE BENEFIT OF NOT HAVING TO EVERYONE AGREES ON MANDATORY REPATRIATION.

HE SAID.

THAT APPRECIATED MR CHENG SAID THAT WHILE HE ADMINISTRATION HAD A DIFFICULT ROLE TO PLAY, HE THOUGHT OF HONG KONG MUST OUTWEIGH ALL OTHER CONSIDERATIONS.

WAIT UNTIL

THE HONG KONG THE INTEREST

RELUCTANT TO WHEREBY THIS THE

HE ALSO SAID THAT THOUGH MOST LEGCO MEMBERS WERE STOP FURTHER FUNDING, THEY WERE FAST REACHING THE POINT MIGHT WELL BE THE LAST RESORT WITHIN THEIR POWERS TO IMPRESS UPON WORLD THAT URGENT ACTIONS MUST NOW SPEAK LOUDER THAN WORDS.

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