XN000022-1989-05-17 — Page 3

1

WEDNESDAY, MAY 17. 1989

DURABLE SOLUTION LIES IN ENSURING COMMITMENTS ARE KEPT

THE PROBLEM

OF

COMMITMENTS AND TO THEIRS, THE SAID IN THE

A DURABLE SOLUTION FOR HONG KONG IN TACKLING VIETNAMESE BOAT PEOPLE LIES NOT IN ABANDONING OUR RESPONSIBILITIES BUT IN ENSURING THAT OTHERS LIVE UP ACTING SECRETARY FOR SECURITY, THE HON ALISTAIR ASPREY, LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL TODAY (WEDNESDAY).

DO SO AT

SPEAKING IN THE MOTION DEBATE ON THE VIETNAMESE BOAT PEOPLE ISSUE, MR ASPREY SAID HONG KONG HAD AN OPPORTUNITY TO

THE INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE

ON INDO-CHINESE REFUGEES IN GENEVA NEXT

MONTH.

14 HE

HIS

'WE MUST SEIZE THIS OPPORTUNITY TO ENSURE THAT AN EFFECTIVE SOLUTION IS AGREED BY THE INTERNATIONAL COMMUNITY, SPEECH SUPPORTING THE MOTION.

SAID IN

NUMBER

A MR ASPREY STRESSED THAT SUCH A SOLUTION MUST CONTAIN OF ELEMENTS, EACH OF WHICH WAS A CRITICAL PART OF THE WHOLF STRUCTURE.

SAID.

"IF ONE ELEMENT 15 MISSING, THE STRUCTURE IS BOUND TO FAIL,

HE

EFFORTS ON THE

FIRST, A SOLUTION MUST INCLUDE MORE EFFECTIVE PART OF THE VIETNAMESE GOVERNMENT TO PREVENT CLANDESTINE DEPARTURES.

GOVERNMENT

OVER HONG KONG EFFORT FROM

NOTING THAT MEASURES TAKEN BY THE VIETNAMESE THE RECENT MONTHS HAD NOT BEEN SUCCESSFUL. MR ASPREY SAID SHOULD CONTINUE TO PRESS FOR AN IMMEDIATE AND THE VIETNAMESE AUTHORITIES.

SUSTAINED

OF

"I HAVE NO DOUBT THAT, WITH THE HELP OF OTHERS, THE PROBLEM VIETNAMESE BOAT PEOPLE IN HONG KONG CAN BE SOLVED, PROVIDED THAT THE SIZE OF THAT PROBLEM IS CONTROLLED AND LIMITED.

"WE SHALL NOT BE ABLE TO DO SO WHILE THE SIZE OF THE PROBLEM INCREASES EVERY DAY BEYOND OUR CONTROL," HE SAID.

**IT 13 THEREFORE IMPERATIVE THAT VIETNAM ACCEPT RESPONSIBILITIES AND TAKE EFFECTIVE ACTION TO STEM THE OUTFLOW OF

ITS

ITS

PEOPLE.

AS "THIS WOULD BE THE HUMANE AS WELL VIETNAM TO ADOPT, MR ASPREY SAID.

RESPONSIBLE

POLICY FOR

"SECONDLY, A SOLUTION MUST INCLUDE DETERMINE WHO ARE GENUINE REFUGEES AND WHO ARE NOT.

SCREENING

OF

ARRIVALS

то

WERE NO SEEKING A

MR ASPREY POINTED OUT THAT THIS WAS AN ESSENTIAL STEP BECAUSE EXPERIENCE HAD CLEARLY SHOWN THAT THE RESETTLEMENT COUNTRIES LONGER WILLING TO ACCEPT AS REFUGEES THOSE WHO WERE SIMPLY BETTER LIFE, AS OPPOSED TO THOSE FLEEING PERSECUTION.

/"IT IS