XN000022-1989-06-13 — Page 2

TUESDAY, JUNE 13, 1989

GOVERNOR CALLS FOR LASTING SOLUTION TO VBP PROBLEM

* * *

THE GOVERNOR, SIR DAVID WILSON, HAS CALLED ON THE INTERNATIONAL COMMUNITY TO AGREE URGENT MEASURES TO RELIEVE THE PRESSURE THAT HONG KONG IS UNDER IN COPING WITH LARGE NUMBERS OF VIETNAMESE BOAT PEOPLE. AND TO FIND A LASTING SOLUTION THAT DEALS WITH ALL ASPECTS OF THE BOAT PEOPLE PROBLEM.

ADDRESSING THE INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE ON INDO-CHINESE REFUGEES IN GENEVA TODAY (TUESDAY), THE GOVERNOR SAID HONG KONG HAD PLAYED ITS PART TO THE FULL IN ARRANGEMENTS MADE IN THE FIRST GENEVA CONFERENCE TEN YEARS AGO.

"BUT THESE WERE YESTERDAY'S ARRANGEMENTS. THEY NO LONGER MEET TODAY'S PROBLEM, SIR DAVID SAID.

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OUTLINING THE ENORMOUS PROBLEM HONG KONG FACED DUE TO A MASSIVE INFLUX OF VIETNAMESE BOAT PEOPLE, THE GOVERNOR STRESSED THAT THE SITUATION WAS CRITICAL. IT COULD NOT GO ON AND HONG KONG COULD NOT CONTINUE TO SHOULDER THIS BURDEN.

SIR DAVID SAID LIKE THE ARRANGEMENTS IN 1979, THE SOLUTION NEEDED TO BE MADE UP OF SEVERAL PARTS, ALL OF WHICH WERE ESSENTIAL IT WAS TO WORK.

IF

# THE UNSAFE, ILLEGAL DEPARTURE OF THOUSANDS OF PEOPLE MUST BE STOPPED OR DRASTICALLY REDUCED. THOSE WHO WISH TO LEAVE VIETNAM AND HAVE A PLACE TO GO TO, SHOULD BE ABLE TO DO SO BY A MEANS WHICH IS BOTH SAFE AND LEGAL;

* SECONDLY, IF PLACES IN THE AREA ARE TO PROVIDE ASYLUM FOR PEOPLE SEEKING A HOME ELSEWHERE WHO HAVE LANDED ON THEIR SHORES, THE COUNTRIES OF RESETTLEMENT MUST BE PREPARED TO OFFER A PROGRAMME OF QUICK AND EFFECTIVE RESETTLEMENT FOR GENUINE REFUGEES;

THIRDLY, TO RELIEVE A PART OF HONG KONG'S HEAVY BURDEN, A REGIONAL PROCESSING CENTRE, SUPPORTED BY INTERNATIONAL FUNDING, SHOULD BE SET UP FROM WHICH REFUGEES COULD MOVE ON TO PERMANENT HOMES IN RESETTLEMENT COUNTRIES AS SOON AS POSSIBLE;

* FOURTHLY, ARRANGEMENTS WHICH ARE BOTH PRACTICAL AND HUMANE MUST BE MADE FOR THE HUGE NUMBERS OF NEW ARRIVALS WHO ARE FOUND NOT ΤΟ BE REFUGEES AND HAVE NO PROSPECT OF GETTING TO THE DESTINATIONS THEY SEEK.

THESE PEOPLE TOO ARE A RESPONSIBILITY THE INTERNATIONAL COMMUNITY CANNOT SHRUG OFF. IT IS ONLY RIGHT THAT VIETNAM, LIKE EVERY OTHER MEMBER OF THE INTERNATIONAL COMMUNITY, SHOULD ACCEPT ITS RESPONSIBILITIES IN TAKING BACK ITS OWN CITIZENS. BOTH THOSE WHO VOLUNTEER TO DO SO AND THOSE WHO DO NOT VOLUNTEER.

/IF THERE