XN000022-1989-12-12 — Page 4

TUESDAY, DECEMBER 12, 1989

STATEMENT BY GOVERNOR

FOLLOWING IS A

STATEMENT MADE BY THE GOVERNOR, SIR DAVID WILSON, TO THE PRESS AFTER THE EXCO MEETING THIS (TUESDAY) MORNING.

GOVERNOR: "GOOD MORNING. YOU'D PROBABLY LIKE ME TO CONFIRM THE FACT, AS YOU ALL KNOW, THAT THIS MORNING WE RETURNED TO VIETNAM THE FIRST GROUP OF VIETNAMESE BOAT PEOPLE. THIS WAS THE GROUP WHICH HAD BEEN CAREFULLY SCREENED AND HAD GONE THROUGH THE WHOLE APPEAL PROCESS TO SHOW THAT THEY WERE NOT POLITICAL REFUGEES.

TS

WHICH WE HAVE BEEN WE HAVE ONLY DONE IT NOT SOMETHING THAT

"YOU KNOW TOO, THAT THIS IS OUR POLICY TRYING TO PUT INTO PLACE FOR SEVERAL MONTHS NOW, WITH A GREAT DEAL OF HEART-SEARCHING. ANYBODY PARTICULARLY WISHES TO DO.

IT

'BUT, WE FACE THE REALITY OF THE SITUATION AND THE REALITY IS THAT THE PLACES TO WHICH THESE PEOPLE WANT TO GO DO NOT ACCEPT THEM AS BEING REFUGEES. THEY WILL NOT GET RESETTLEMENT THERE. WE THINK IT IS QUITE WRONG THAT WE SHOULD BUILD UP ARTIFICIAL HOPES THAT ONE DAY THOSE PLACES WILL CHANGE THEIR MINDS. AND IT IS FAR BETTER THAT PEOPLE SHOULD GO BACK TO THEIR 110MES IN VIETNAM WITH Au CAREFULLY MONITORED PROGRAMME.

"AND THAT IS THE OTHER POINT I WOULD LIKE ΤΟ MAKE. WE HAVE ENSURED IN AGREEMENT WITH THE VIETNAMESE GOVERNMENT THAT PEOPLE WHO ARE GOING BACK TO VIETNAM WILL NOT BE PUNISHED FOR HAVING LEFT VIETNAM, THAT THEY WILL BE TREATED PROPERLY AND THAT IT WOULD BE POSSIBLE TO MONITOR WHAT IS DONE WITH THEM. NOW, I AM SURE THAT THERE WILL BE PEOPLE WHO WOULD DISAGREE WITH WHAT WE HAVE DONE. BUT THEY, SO FAR, HAVE NOT PUT FORWARD ANY PRACTICAL ALTERNATIVES.

"AND THE LAST POINT 1 WOULD LIKE TO MAKE 15 THAT OVER MANY YEARS NOW SINCE 1975 WE HAVE NEVER TURNED AWAY A SINGLE PERSON WHO HAS ARRIVED HERE BY BOAT FROM VIETNAM. WE HAVE FED, WE HAVE CLOTHED, AND WE HAVE LOOKED AFTER SOMETHING LIKE 170,000 PEOPLE. THAT IS AN APPROACH AND A POLICY THAT HONG KONG CAN RIGHTLY OF.

AND T THINK RE PROUD

"BUT, IF WE ARE TO CONTINUE TO LOOK AFTER PEOPLE WHO ARE GENUINE REFUGEES, ASYLUM SEEKERS WHO MAY TURN OUT TO BF GENUINE REFUGEES, THEN WE MUST HAVE IN PLACE ARRANGEMENTS FOR RETURNING TO THEIR HOMES PEOPLE WHO ARE FOUND AFTER A LONG PERIOD OF SCREENING TO BE POLITICAL REFUGEES. THANK YOU VERY MUCH.

NOT

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