XN000022-1989-06-16 — Page 28

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FRIDAY, JUNE 16, 1989

QUESTION:

GOVERNOR:

QUESTION:

GOVERNOR:

SPEECH

IT WAS ALSO MENTIONED IN SIR GEOFFREY HOWE'S THAT THE FIRST ASYLUM POSSIBLY MIGHT BE ABANDONED. WHAT DO YOU SEE AS ABANDONING FIRST ASYLUM?

WHAT HE WAS SAYING, AND WHAT I WAS SAYING, WAS A PRACTICAL REALITY THAT WE CAN'T GO ON AS WE WERE BEFORE UNLESS ARRANGEMENTS ARE PUT IN PLACE FOR RESETTLEMENT; UNLESS WE START TO WORK ON THE QUESTION OF REPATRIATION; UNLESS SOMETHING IS DONE ABOUT A HOLDING CENTRE; WE JUST SIMPLY CAN'T GO ON. NOW, THE GREAT UNKNOWN IN ALL THIS IS, HOW MANY PEOPLE WILL CONTINUE TO COME INTO HONG KONG? AT THE MOMENT WE DON'T KNOW. I HOPE THAT THE MESSAGE FROM GENEVA WILL BE: 'DON'T LEAVE VIETNAM IN A SMALL LEAKY BOAT BECAUSE YOU'RE NOT GOING TO GET TO NORTH AMERICA. YOU'RE GOING TO FINISH UP IN A CAMP AND THEN YOU'RE GOING TO GO BACK TO VIETNAM.'

ON

IF WE GET TO THE POINT THAT EVERYTHING IS GOING AS BEFORE AND THEN WE SAY, WE CAN'T GO ON PROVIDING ASYLUM, I WOULDN'T LIKE TO GO INTO THE PRECISE DETAILS OF HOW THAT WOULD BE DONE. I HOPE WE CAN AVOID THAT POINT. THE MESSAGE WAS, WE HAVE A REAL CRISIS IN HONG KONG. THE WORLD SHOULD TAKE NOTE OF IT, BE PREPARED TO TAKE ACTION TO DEAL WITH IT. 30 WE DON'T GET TO THAT POINT WHERE WE SAY, WE CAN NO LONGER PROVIDE ASYLUM.

REPORTS, SIR DAVID, HAVE SUGGESTED THAT THE VIETNAMESE MIGHT BE WILLING TO TAKE BACK MORE OF THEIR NATIONALS FOR A CASH SUM. DO YOU THINK IT WOULD MAKE GOOD ECONOMIC SENSE TO PAY $1,000 PER HEAD?

WELL, WE'RE GOING ON TALKING TO THE VIETNAMESE ABOUT THE QUESTION OF REPATRIATION. TRYING TO BUILD ON THE EXISTING PROGRAMME THAT WE'VE GOT, TO WIDEN THAT PROGRAMME AND MAKE IT MORE COMPREHENSIVE. THE ACTUAL COST OF SENDING BACK PEOPLE, UP TO NOW, HAS BEEN APPROXIMATELY WHAT YOU SAY; IT'S BEEN APPROXIMATELY US$1,000 PER HEAD. NOW THAT'S THE COST OF TRANSPORT, REHABILITATION ASSISTANCE; SO THE SUM YOU MENTION IS THE PRECISE COST THAT IT'S BEEN UP TO NOW.

UP

YOUR THAN KEEPING

IT IS, OF COURSE, - I MEAN JUST TO FOLLOW POINT

IT IS A GREAT DEAL CHEAPER PEOPLE HERE FOR A LONG PERIOD OF TIME.

STUART PALLISTER: TO FOLLOW ON FROM THAT, ONE OF THE REAL SOLUTIONS TO THIS SEEMS TO BE THAT ECONOMIC AID SHOULD BE GIVEN ΤΟ VIETNAM. WHAT ARE THE INDICATIONS THAT BRITAIN AND HONG KONG WILL BE OFFERING ECONOMIC ASSISTANCE BEFORE OR AFTER SEPTEMBER, WHEN THE TROOPS ARE PULLED OUT OF KAMPUCHEA?

/GOVERNOR: