XN000022-1989-06-13 — Page 5

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TUESDAY, JUNE 13, 1989

HONG ALL,

ONLY ONE THING HAS REMAINED CONSTANT. THE THOUSANDS OF PEOPLE NOW ARRIVING ON OUR SHORES EACH WEEK ARE NOT SEEKING TO STAY IN KONG. THEIR AIM IS TO REACH THE COUNTRIES OF RESETTLEMENT; ABOVE THEY WANT TO GO TO NORTH AMERICA," HE ADDED.

PARTLY BECAUSE THE "THE NATURE OF THE PROBLEM HAS CHANGED,

THEY WERE PEOPLE COMING HAVE CHANGED AND PARTLY BECAUSE THE WELCOME

I SIR DAVID SAID. ONCE GIVEN ROUND THE WORLD HAS FADED,

OUT THAT TEN YEARS

AGO THOSE LEAVING WHAT HAD BEEN SOUTH

THE GOVERNOR POINTED VIETNAM, MOSTLY ETHNIC CHINESE FLEEING FROM VIETNAM, WERE GENUINE POLITICAL REFUGEES,

BEEN

THE

DIFFERENT. "BUT IN RECENT YEARS THE PEOPLE ARRIVING HAVE BEEN

FROM VIETNAMESE THOSE COMING

KONG HAVE MOSTLY TO HONG NORTHERN PART OF VIETNAM.

OF A SUDDEN CHANGE OF "THEY ARE NOT THE VICTIMS

A BETTER REGIME. THEY ARE SEEKING ECONOMIC IMPROVEMENT AND

RATHER THAN OF LIVING FOR POLITICAL PERSECUTION.

THEMSELVES

FAMILIES AND THEIR

POLITICAL STANDARD FLEEING

"HALF OF THOSE NOW ARRIVING ARE UNDER THE AGE OF 20. ONE

SIR DAVID SAID.

ARE CHILDREN OF 15 OR LESS,

THIRD

THE

BECAUSE SINCE 1980 OFFERS OF "THE PROBLEM HAS ALSO CHANGED

FOR THE BOAT FALLEN,

PEOPLE STEADILY HAVE RESETTLEMENT OPPORTUNITY TO REACH NORTH AMERICA HAS ALMOST DISAPPEARED.

"FOR THE PLACES OF FIRST ASYLUM THE NECESSARY BALANCE UNDER THE 1979 ARRANGEMENTS NO LONGER EXISTS.

ACHIEVED

"HONG

UP KONG AND THE COUNTRIES OF SOUTH EAST ASIA HAVE LIVED

FIRST ASYLUM, то THEIR SIDE OF THE BARGAIN BY CONTINUING TO PROVIDE BUT CAN THE SAME BE SAID OF THE INTERNATIONAL COMMUNITY AS A WHOLE?"

"THOSE BLEAK WORDS 'COMPASSION FATIGUE' HAVE REAL," SIR DAVID SAID.

BEEN ALL TOO

PEOPLE ARRIVED IN HONG LAST YEAR, OVER 18, 000 FROM VIETNAM: LESS THAN 3,000 LEFT FOR RESETTLEMENT.

KONG BY BOAT

THERE IS THE

"SOME COUNTRIES HAVE SAID THAT THOSE ARRIVING NO LONGER QUALIFY FOR RESETTLEMENT AS REFUGEES UNDER THE NORMAL RULES.

THE GOVERNOR SAID. SOUND OF ONLY ONE HAND CLAPPING,

**

"THE CONSEQUENCES FOR HONG KONG ARE APPALLING,

中 SIR DAVID SAID.

IN

ONE

"THE'.E PEOPLE MOVING ALONG THE COAST OF CHINA AND ARRIVING THEIR SMALI, O'ERCROWDED BOATS, ARE COMING RIGHT INTO THE HEART OF OF THE MOST DENSELY POPULATED PLACES IN THE WORLD.

"OUR RESOURCES HAVE BEEN OVERWHELMED," HE ADDED.

/HE SAID