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WEDNESDAY, JULY 5, 1989

BOAT PEOPLE SQUARELY A BRITISH PROBLEM

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THE PROBLEM OF VIETNAMESE BOAT PEOPLE IS A MATTER OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS AND, AS SUCH, IT RESTA SQUARELY IN THE COURT OF THE GOVERNMENT. THE HON RITA PAN SAID IN THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL TODAY

(WEDNESDAY).

SPEAKING IN THE MOTION DEBATE ON THE FOREIGN AFFAIRS COMMITTEE REPORT. MRS FAN SAID HONG KONG HAD BEEN UPHOLDING BRITISH HONOUR OVER THE PAST DECADE BY ABIDING FAITHFULLY TO THE POLICY OF FIRST ASYLUM, EVEN UNDER THE MOST ADVERSE CONDITIONS.

SHE SAID: "HONG KONG TAXPAYERS HAD SPENT OVER $2. 4 BILLION ON THIS. IRRESPONSIBLE AND IGNORANT CRITICISMS HAVE BEEN SHOWERED UPON HONG KONG. THE DAILY LIFE OF MANY RESIDENTS WAS DISRUPTED.

"WITH A POPULATION DENSITY OF 5,200 PER SQUARE KILOMETRE, WE ARE ALREADY ACCOMMODATING OVER 48,000 VIETNAMESE REFUGEES AND BOAT PEOPLE, WITH MORE YET TO COME. THIS IS COMPARABLE TO UNITED KINGDOM. WHICH HAS 230 PER SQUARE KILOMETRE, HAVING TO ACCOMMODATE ONE MILLION PEOPLE."

AGAINST ALL ODDS, MRS FAN SAID HONG KONG WAS STILL OFFERING A

SAFE HAVEN FOR THE VIETNAMESE BOAT PEOPLE.

"HAVE ANY BRITISH DEPENDENT TERRITORIES EVER DONE SO MUCH TO UPHOLD BRITISH HONOUR AND PRINCIPLE? WHAT HAS HONG KONG GOT IN RETURN?" SHE ASKED.

MRS FAN SAID THE PROBLEM OF BOAT PEOPLE HAD ESCALATED SINCE THE FAC TOOK EVIDENCE IN HONG KONG IN APRIL. AND DURING MAY AND JUNE THE MONTHLY ARRIVAL EXCEEDED 9,000.

"NO REPRIEVE IS IN SIGHT FOR JULY AND AUGUST, THE POPULAR SEASON FOR BOAT PEOPLE TO COME INTO HONG KONG WATERS.

THE GENEVA CONFERENCE'S FAILURE TO DEAL WITH VIETNAMESE BOAT PEOPLE REALISTICALLY WAS A DISAPPOINTMENT, ALTHOUGH THE GOVERNOR, AND OTHER MEMBERS OF THE BRITISH DELEGATION LED BY SIR GEOFFREY HOWE, HAD PUT IN TREMENDOUS EFFORT TO DRAW ATTENTION TO HONG KONG'S PREDICAMENT AND SEEK TO PERSUADE THE AMERICANS AND THE VIETNAMESE, HE SAID,

MRS PAN SAID THE COMMITTEE'S RECOMMENDATIONS ON VIETNAMESE BOAT PEOPLE WERE WELCOMED IN HONG KONG BECAUSE IT RECOGNISED THE INEVITABILITY OF THE SCREENING POLICY IN THE FACE OF DECLINING LEVEL OF ACCEPTANCE BY RESETTLEMENT COUNTRIES COUPLED WITH THE MASSIVE INFLUX OF BOAT PEOPLE, AND IT ACCEPTED THAT THE LOGICAL CONSEQUENCE OF A SCREENING PROGRAMME WAS THE REPATRIATION OF THOSE SCREENED-OUT.

/ON THE

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