XN000022-1989-11-29 — Page 16

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WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 29, 1989

MANDATORY REPATRIATION THE ONLY SANE ANSWER

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URGENT MANDATORY REPATRIATION OF VIETNAMESE BOAT PEOPLE WOULD BE THE ONLY SANE ANSWER TO THE INTRACTABLE PROBLEM, THE HON JAMES TIEN SAID TODAY (WEDNESDAY) IN THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL.

SHOULD MANDATORY REPATRIATION NOT SUCCEED FOR WHATEVER REASONS WITHIN THE NEXT MONTHS, HE WOULD SUPPORT A MOVE TO INTRODUCE A MOTION TERMINATING HONG KONG'S COMMITMENT TO THE PORT OF FIRST ASYLUM POLICY.

SPEAKING IN THE MOTION DEBATE ON URGENT MANDATORY REPATRIATION OF VIETNAMESE BOAT PEOPLE, MR TIEN SAID THERE WERE OBSTACLES TO THE INTRODUCTION OF MANDATORY REPATRIATION, ONE BEING THAT SOME COUNTRIES HAD DOUBLE STANDARDS ON THE BOAT PEOPLE ISSUE.

HE SAID THE

AMERICANS HAD DEVELOPED A CURIOUS BLINDNESS ABOUT REFUGEES AND POURED SCORN ON THE DISTINCTION BETWEEN GENUINE POLITICAL REFUGEES AND ECONOMIC MIGRANTS.

THE AMERICANS THEMSELVES WERE IN FACT CARRYING OUT MANDATORY REPATRIATION OF BOAT PEOPLE FROM HAITI AS, ACCORDING TO PRESS REPORTS, ONLY SIX OUT OF 21,000 BOAT PEOPLE FROM HAITI WERE ALLOWED TO ENTER THE UNITED STATES WHILE THE REST WERE FORCED TO RETURN, MR TIEN SAID.

THE AMERICANS WERE NOT HELPFUL IN TAKING REFUGEES FROM HONG KONG EITHER, HE ADDED.

APART FROM THIS, HE SUGGESTED THAT THE AMERICANS SHOULD HELP VIETNAM IN A POS ITVE WAY

BY DEVELOPING THE COUNTRY'S ECONOMY THROUGH FINANCIAL AID.

"SO THE MESSAGE SHOULD GO FORWARD TO OUR AMERICAN FRIENDS THAT THIS COUNCIL IS DECIDEDLY NOT IMPRESSED WITH CONGRESSIONAL THINKING ON THE SUBJECT OF OUR TREATMENT OF UNINVITED ECONOMIC ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS FROM VIETNAM, JUST AS USA DOES NOT WELCOME UNINVITED ECONOMIC ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS FROM HAITI, HE SAID.

AS FOR FOOTING THE BILL FOR MANDATORY REPATRIATION, MR TIEN SAID HONG KONG SHOULD NOT BE EXPECTED TO BEAR THE COST OF SUCH ACTION, AS THE BOAT PEOPLE CAME UNINVITED.

"LET SOMEBODY ELSE ACCEPT THE COST OF GETTING THEM OUT AGAIN. LET THOSE COUNTRIES EXPRESSING CONCERN....PAY," HE SAID.

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