XN000022-1989-06-13 — Page 4

VL

I

TUESDAY, JUNE 13, 1989

WAS REELING

THE GOVERNOR NOTED THAT TEN YEARS AGO HONG KONG UNDER THE IMPACT OF A MASSIVE INFLUX OF PEOPLE ARRIVING IN BOATS VIETNAM, WITH THE TERRITORY HAVING 66,000 VIETNAMESE REFUGEES IN 1979.

FROM

JULY

PEOPLE SIR

"TODAY WE ARE AGAIN REELING UNDER A CONSTANT STREAM OF ARRIVING FROM VIETNAM. OVER 9,000 OF THEM ARRIVED IN MAY ALONE," DAVID SAID.

CHILDREN

"RECENTLY WE HAVE HAD AS MANY AS 1,000 MEN, WOMEN AND ARRIVING IN A SINGLE DAY ON SMALL OVERCROWDED, UNSEAWORTHY BOATS.

KONG, ADDED.

IN HONG THE REGION, HE

"TODAY THERE ARE ALMOST 43,000 VIETNAMESE BOAT PEOPLE BY FAR THE LARGEST NUMBER IN ANY TERRITORY IN

ין

THE GOVERNOR NOTED THAT THE GENEVA CONFERENCE TEN YEARS AGO HAD ACHIEVED REMARKABLE RESULTS.

ARRANGEMENTS WERE PUT IN PLACE BY WHICH :

THE OUTFLOW OF REFUGEES FROM

VIETNAM WAS REDUCED;

A

DEPARTURE ORDERLY

WAS

SUBSTITUTED

FOR

FOR PROGRAMME CLANDESTINE AND UNSAFE FLIGHT;

AGREED BY

HONG KONG AND MOST OF THE COUNTRIES OF SOUTH EAST ASIA TO GIVE TEMPORARY ASYLUM TO THOSE ARRIVING ON THEIR SHORES BOAT;

IN RETURN, COUNTRIES ELSEWHERE UNDERTOOK TO PROVIDE A PROGRAMME ASYLUM OF RESETTLEMENT SO THAT NONE OF THE PLACES OF TEMPORARY SHOULD BE LEFT HOLDING REFUGEES; AND

THE COSTS OF THE WHOLE PROGRAMME WOULD INTERNATIONAL COMMUNITY.

BE SHARED BY THE

"HONG

FULL.

HAVE BEEN

KONG PLAYED ITS PART IN THESE ARRANGEMENTS TO THE 117,000 VIETNAMESE REFUGEES HAVE COME TO HONG KONG, LOOKED AFTER AND MOVED ON TO PERMANENT HOMES.

OVER

"NONE HAS BEEN TURNED AWAY,

||

SIR DAVID POINTED OUT,

PROVIDED CANADA, AUSTRALIA,

THAT HAD MADE

THE GOVERNOR SAID HONG KONG WAS GRATEFUL TO THOSE WHO

NOTABLY THE UNITED STATES, RESETTLEMENT PLACES, AND THE UNITED KINGDOM, AND ALSO MANY OTHER COUNTRIES THEIR OWN ENTROUS CONTRIBUTIONS.

"THE PROBLEM HAS NOT GONE AWAY, BUT THE

NATURE OF IT NAS

"

CHANGED, SIR DAVID NOTED,

/"ONLY ONE