XN000022-1990-01-16 — Page 28

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TUESDAY, JANUARY 16, 1990

MR HURD: ON THE BILL OF RIGHTS. DISCUSSION OF THAT IS PROCEEDING IN HONG KONG THROUGH THE INSTITUTIONS OF HONG KONG. IT WAS AN IDEA WHICH I THINK STARTED WITH MY PREDECESSOR. GEOFFREY HOWE, WHEN HE WAS HERE IN JULY. I'M GLAD IT'S BEEN TAKEN UP. THE NOTION THAT SOMEHOW THE TEXT HAS BEEN SHOWN TO THE CHINESE AND THEY'VE MADE REPRESENTATIONS AGAINST IT. HAS NO BASIS SO FAR AS I KNOW AND 1 AM MYSTIFIED AS TO HOW IT AROSE. IT'S BEING DISCUSSED HERE IN HONG KONG. THE DRAFT BASIC LAK. AS I THINK I'VE ALREADY MENTIONED. DOES INCORPORATE RECOGNITION OF THE TWO MAIN UN COVENANTS INVOLVED. WHICH, THE BILL OF RIGHTS SEEKS TO REFLECT ONE. AND SO THIS IS PROCEEDING IN, IT SEEMS TO ME. AN ORDERLY WAY IN HONG KONG THROUGH ITS OWN INSTITUTIONS.

—

-

AS REGARDS THE BOAT PEOPLE, ONE OF THE POINTS PUT MOST STRONGLY ΤΟ ME.

IN FACT THE POINT ON WHICH THE DISTRICT BOARD ITS MEMBERS WERE ACTUALLY MOST VEHEMENT YESTERDAY AFTERNOON WAS ON THE QUESTION OF THE BOAT PEOPLE AND ON THE PARTICULAR POINT YOU MAKE ABOUT RESOURCES AND FINANCING. RECENTLY. WE HAVE ANNOUNCED A NEW CONTRIBUTION THIS IS THE BRITISH GOVERNMENT OF SIXTY-TWO-AND-A- HALF-MILLION HONG KONG DOLLARS TOWARDS IMPROVING EMERGENCY ACCOMMODATION, AND SEVENTY-MILLION HONG KONG DOLLARS AS A CONTRIBUTION OF 50 PERCENT TOWARDS A NEW CAMP AT TAI A CHAU. AND IN ADDITION TO THIS, WE PAY SUBSTANTIALLY - THAT'S SIXTEEN-AND-A-QUARTER-MILLION HONG 90 KONG DOLLARS IN HELPING WITH REINTEGRATION AND TRANSPORT COSTS. THE BRITISH GOVERNMENT IS MAKING A SUBSTANTIAL CONTRIBUTION TO THE

OF THE BOAT PROPLE. PROBLEM

IS BUT OF COURSE THE RIGHT ANSWER

то EMPTY THE CAMPS AS QUICKLY AS WE CAN AND TO PREVENT THEM RE-FILLING. THOSE

THE ARE THE TWO ARMS OF THE PROBLEM. AND I WOULD HOPE THAT AT MEETING IN GENEVA, WHICH SHOULD BE HELD BEFORE LONG. I WOULD HOPE THAT THE INTERNATIONAL COMMUNITY MIGHT AGREE THAT THERE

BE SHOULD REPATRIATION AS WELL AS VOLUNTARY RETURN, AND IF THEY DID 50 AND TO THE MONITORING, THEN OF COURSE THAT WOULD ALL TAKE PLACE THE FINANCIAL ARRANGEMENTS WHICH COVER THE VOLUNTEERS AT THE AND ARE INTERNATIONAL AND DON'T FALL ON HONG KONG OR ON THE GOVERNMENT.

AGREE.

UNDER

MOMENT. BRITISH

LOUIS TING:

THE OTHER QUESTION

OVERRIDE

THE

OTHER

ORDINANCES?

MR HURD: WELL. THAT'S A MATTER FOR HONG KONG STUDIED THE TEXT. I KNOW THAT EXCO DECIDED TO HAVE ANOTHER LOOK THEM AND THAT'S THEIR RIGHT. THAT'S A MATTER TO BE WORKED OUT HERE.

I HAVEN'T

AT

AS

YOU

DO

KNOW. YOU

THE THINK

MR HURD, SUK-FONG (RING TAO MAN POF: CHOI CIVIL

IS NOW FACING A BRAIN-DRAIN PROBLEM. SERVICE SETTING UP A FUND FOR THEIR PENSION IS THE PROPER SOLUTION?

— 7

IT'S

BUT 1

EXPRESSED

I

—

ALSO AND THAT KNOW

KNOW

WERE

THE WHICH

MR HURD: I KNOW THAT THE AGREEMENT WITH THE CHINESE THE JOINT DECLARATION ITSELF, ISN'T IT?

DOES PROVIDE THAT PENSIONS SHOULD BE PAID. AFTER 1997. ON TERMS NOT LESS FAVOURABLE THAN THOSE AT

EXISTING. PRESENT

SO THAT IS A CLEAR COMMITMENT. THAT BECAUSE OF

WILICH HAVE BEEN ANXIETIES

ME EXPRESSED ΤΟ ACTUALLY

YESTERDAY. AGAIN. GOVERNMENT OF HONG KONG IS LOOKING TO SEE IF THERE ARE WAYS IN THAT CLEAR ASSURANCE, CLEAR AGREEMENT. CAN BE BUTTRESSED. SO RELIEVE

BUT IT IS THERE. CLEAR THE ANXIETY YOU MENTION. THE JOINT DECLARATION,

AS TO

ENOUGH.

IN

/CHRISTOPHER LOCKWOOD