XN000022-1989-10-11 — Page 24

WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 11, 1989

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"WE HAVE TRIED THIS AND WILL CONTINUE TO DO SO.

IT

"THE MORE PEOPLE WHO RETURN HOME VOLUNTARILY BETTER. THE GOVERNOR SAID.

TO VIETNAM

THE

THE

HE

HOWEVER, VOLUNTARY REPATRIATION ALONE WAS CLEARLY NOT ANSWER AS THE NUMBER OF PEOPLE WILLING TO VOLUNTEER WAS LIMITED. SAID, ADDING THAT WHILE FURTHER GROUPS WERE DUE TO GO SOON, ONLY 264 VIETNAMESE HAD ACTUALLY RETURNED ΤΟ THEIR HOMELAND SINCE NOVEMBER LAST YEAR.

SIR DAVID RECALLED THAT AT THE INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE IN UNE. HE WARNED THAT IF PROPER ARRANGEMENTS WERE NOT MADE TO RETURN HOME THOSE FOUND NOT TO BE REFUGEES, HONG KONG COULD NOT CONTINUE INDEFINITELY TO PLAY ITS PART BY PROVIDING FIRST ASYLUM.

"BUT WE MUST NOT DECEIVE OURSELVES INTO THINKING THAT ABANDONING THIS PRINCIPLE IS AN EASY, OR COST FREE, OPTION.

"WE WOULD HAVE TO FACE THE HARD CHOICE OF WHAT TO DO IF FUTURE ARRIVALS SANK THEIR BOATS WHEN THEY WERE REFUSED PERMISSION TO LAND HERE.

"WOULD WE, AS A COMMUNITY, BE WILLING то LET PEOPLE DROWN? SURELY NOT.

"WE WOULD ALSO HAVE TO FACE AN INTERNATIONAL OUTCRY WHICH WOULD PUT AT RISK OUR PROSPECTS FOR RESETTLING THE 13,000 REFUGEES NOW IN HONG KONG, AND WHICH WOULD ALSO AFFECT INTERNATIONAL ATTITUDES TOWARDS HONG KONG IN OTHER AREAS, SUCH AS TRADE, WHERE WE HAVE IMPORTANT INTERESTS, HE SAID.

**

SEEM

THE GOVERNOR SAID MANY PEOPLE OUTSIDE HONG KONG DID NOT TO REALISE WHAT A BURDEN THE CONTINUING FLOW FROM VIETNAM CREATED FOR US.

"BUT WE HAVE COPED. WE HAVE HOUSED, FED AND THOSE WHO HAVE COME.

CARED FOR ALL

"WE HAVE TURNED NO-ONE AWAY. THIS IS SOMETHING CAN ALL BE PROUD," HE SAID.

OF WHICH WE

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