XN000022-1989-10-16 — Page 4

MONDAY, OCTOBER 16, 1989

3

VIEW. IT

WILL,

"I WELCOME THIS ATTEMPT TO SEEK A COMMON THE BASIC LAW DRAFTERS. IT WILL ALSO HELP US IN DECIDING ON THE SPEED OF DEVELOPMENT IN THE YEARS IMMEDIATELY AHEAD," HE SAID.

HELF

RIGHT

AS ONE

SIR DAVID DESCRIBED THE VIETNAMESE BOAT PEOPLE PROBLEM OF THE BIGGEST PROBLEMS THE HONG KONG ADMINISTRATION HAD TO FACE.

WE

BY

"WHEN THE INTERNATIONAL COMMUNITY AND, IN PARTICULAR,

ARE

OVERWHELMED BEING THE COUNTRIES IN SOUTH EAST ASIA WHO PROBLEM, TRY TO FIND THE WAY FORWARD, I ASK FOR YOUR UNDERSTANDING OUR DILEMMA.

AND

THE OF

AND

"I ASK YOU ALSO TO LOOK AT THE

BY EMOTIONS UNCLOUDED

PROBLEM MEMORIES OF THE DIFFICULT RELATIONSHIP WITH VIETNAM, HE SAID.

STRAIGHT,

UNITED

WITH MINDS STATES' OWN

WHICH ALL THESE YEARS HAD SIR DAVID SAID HONG KONG,

FACED OF PEOPLE MOUNTING PROBLEMS OF HOW TO HOUSE AND FEED THESE THOUSANDS

IT COULD EVEN WHO REALLY WANTED TO GO SOMEWHERE ELSE, HAD DONE WHAT

UNFAIR THAT WE THOUGH, TO OUR OWN POPULATION, IT SEEMED DESPERATELY

PEOPLE WITH NO CONNECTION SHOULD LE ALLOWING IN THOUSANDS OF

WITH TURNED HONG KONG AND NO WISH TO STAY THERE WHEN EVERY DAY WE NORMALLY

WHO OFTEN HAD CLOSE FAMILY BACK TO CHINA 40-50 ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS CONNECTIONS WITH PEOPLE IN THE TERRITORY.

WHO

"THERE IS A GROWING FEELING THESE YEARS OF

IN GENEROSITY HAVE ARRIVED FROM VIETNAM DEALING WITH THOSE

NOT HAVE

ONLY

ALSO BROUGHT US

BUT

CRITICISM AND PROBLEM, CONTINUING A

WORLD; WHEREAS THOSE WHOSE MISUNDERSTANDING FROM MANY PARTS OF THE

BOTH LESS OF A PROBLEM AND POLICIES HAVE BEEN HARSHER HAVE

LESS

CRITICISM," HE SAID.

SIR DAVID

SAID THAT

WHEN THE INTERNATIONAL COMMUNITY

GENEVA EARLIER THI'S YEAR, ALL REFUGEES MUST RETURN

HAD

LOOKED AT THE PROBLEM, AS IT DID AT WERE AGREED THAT ULTIMATELY THOSE WHO WERE NOT TO THEIR HOMES.

BUT WE MUST ALWAYS BE A SMALL

"IF PEOPLE VOLUNTEER TO DO SO THAT IS EXCELLENT : FACE THE FACT THAT THE NUMBER WHO VOLUNTEER WILL MINORITY.

RESETTLEMENT AS "FOR THE MAJORITY, IF THERE IS NO PROSPECT OF

BE A PROGRAMME FOR ORDERLY REFUGEES ELSEWHERE, THERE WILL HAVE TO

WAY THEY RETURN TO THEIR HOMES, WITH ARRANGEMENTS FOR MONITORING THE ARE TREATED AFTER THEIR RETURN.

"THIS IS A

VIEW NOW INCREASINGLY

AGENCIES CLOSEST TO THE PROBLEM, OXFAM, SAVE THE BRITISH REFUGEE COUNCIL.

SHARED BY THE VOLUNTARY THE CHILDREN FUND AND

THEM

WHERE WHATEVER TAKEN, FRUSTRATION

THE

WILL

A LARGE NUMBER OF "IT CANNOT BE RIGHT TO KEEP PEOPLE,

CAMPS FOR YEAR AFTER YEAR, CHILDREN, INSIDE FACILITIES AND WHATEVER PERIODICALLY TURN TO VIOLENCE,

THE

PRECAUTIONS HE SAID.

/ON THE