XN000022-1989-06-16 — Page 20

FRIDAY, JUNE 16, 1989

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GOVERNOR GIVES PRESS CONFERENCE AT AIRPORT

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THE FOLLOWING IS A FULL TRANSCRIPT OF THE PRESS CONFERENCE GIVEN BY THE GOVERNOR, SIR DAVID WILSON, TODAY (FRIDAY) ON HIS RETURN FROM THE INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE ON INDO-CHINESE REFUGEES IN GENEVA:

GOVERNOR:

GOOD MORNING. I WON'T DO MUCH IN THE WAY OF AN INTRODUCTION. YOU ALL KNOW WHAT I'VE BEEN DOING, I'VE BEEN AWAY FOR JUST OVER A WEEK. FIRST OF ALL, 1 WANTED TO GO AND SEE THE MINISTERS, AND SEE THE PRIME MINISTER. SECONDLY, I WAS APPEARING IN FRONT OF THE FOREIGN AFFAIRS COMMITTEE. AND THIRDLY, I'VE JUST BEEN IN GENEVA FOR THE CONFERENCE ON VIETNAMESE BOAT PEOPLE.

SINCE YOU PROBABLY COVERED, OR HAVE SEEN A LOT ABOUT THE FIRST TWO OF THOSE SERIES OF EVENTS, LET ME JUST BRIEFLY SAY SOMETHING ABOUT THE GENEVA CONFERENCE.

THE MESSAGE WHICH OUGHT TO GO BACK TO VIETNAM, WHICH MUST GO BACK TO VIETNAM, IS THAT THE IDEA OF AUTOMATIC RESETTLEMENT AS A RESULT OF LEAVING BY BOAT IS NOW AT AN END. IT'S BEEN AT AN END IN HONG KONG FOR SOME TIME; IT'S AT AN END THROUGHOUT SOUTHEAST ASIA. SO I HOPE THAT THE MESSAGE WHICH WILL GO BACK VERY LOUD AND VERY CLEAR TO VIETNAM, AND ESPECIALLY NORTH VIETNAM, IS THAT IF YOU WANT TO LEAVE VIETNAM AND GO TO NORTH AMERICA WHICH IS WHERE MOST OF THEM WANT TO GO, DON'T LEAVE BY A SMALL BOAT ALONG THE COAST OF CHINA TO HONG KONG. STAY IN VIETNAM, AND IF YOU'VE GOT A HOPE OF BEING RESETTLED IN THE UNITED STATES, THEN THE ONLY WAY OF DOING THAT IS THROUGH THE ORDERLY DEPARTURE PROGRAMME, NO OTHER WAY.

THE OTHER PROSPECT IS REMAINING CAMP UNTIL YOU'RE REPATRIATED TO VIETNAM.

IN A

STEPS

THE CONFERENCE DID MAKE SOME SIGNIFICANT FORWARD. IT SET OUT THAT MESSAGE. IT DEALT WITH THE QUESTION OF RESETTLEMENT FOR PEOPLE WHO ARE GENUINE REFUGEES, WITH A LARGE PROGRAMME FOR DEALING WITH THAT. IT CAME UP WITH A VERY GENEROUS OFFER FROM THE PHILIPPINES' FOREIGN MINISTER FOR A REGIONAL HOLDING CENTRE IN THE PHILIPPINES. AND THE QUESTION OF REPATRIATION IN ALL ITS FORMS TO VIETNAM, WAS GIVEN A VERY THOROUGH AIRING AT THE CONFERENCE ALTHOUGH THERE WERE, AS YOU KNOW, DIVERGENT VIEWS ON THAT PARTICULAR QUESTION.

QUESTION THAT AS QUESTIONS

WE ARE, OURSELVES, ON A BILATERAL BASIS CONTINUING OUR DISCUSSIONS WITH THE VIETNAMESE ON THE OF REPATRIATION. LET ME LEAVE IT AT INTRODUCTORY REMARKS AND JUST TAKE ANY YOU'VE GOT.

/SIMON COLE (ITN):

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