XN000022-1994-09-16 — Page 9

I

7

FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 16, 1994

IN

QUESTION: FOREIGN SECRETARY, I'D LIKE TO ASK YOU ABOUT THE VIETNAMESE THE CAMPS HERE. I UNDERSTAND THAT THERE ARE MANY PEOPLE WHO ARE NOT REGARDED AS REFUGEES NOW, BUT THERE ARE THOUSANDS OF VIETNAMESE WHO SAY THEY'RE NOT GOING TO GO VOLUNTARILY AT ALL. NOW I WANT TO KNOW IS THERE A KIND OF AN UNDERSTANDING WITH CHINA OF SOME KIND ABOUT THE VIETNAMESE BEING SENT BACK BEFORE 1997? AND IF THERE ISN'T, WHY IS IT NECESSARY TO RUN THE RISK OF ANOTHER WHITEHEAD? WHY CAN'T THE VIETNAMESE IN THE CAMPS EITHER BE OFFERED A CHANCE TO GO, AS IT WERE QUIETLY AND NICELY, OR BE TOLD THAT THE CHINESE WILL REMOVE THEM IN THEIR OWN WAY AFTER 1997? WHY DO THE BRITISH HAVE ΤΟ TAKE SUCH FORCIBLE METHODS WITH THESE PEOPLE IF THEY REALLY DON'T WANT TO GO? IN THREE YEARS IT WILL BE SOMEBODY ELSE WHO HAVE TO DO THAT, WHY CAN'T THEY BE OFFERED THE CHOICE?

FOREIGN SECRETARY: NO, THERE'S NO UNDERSTANDING WITH THE PEOPLE'S REPUBLIC ON THIS ISSUE. WHAT THERE IS IS A BRITISH COMMITMENT TO HONG KONG DATING A LONG TIME BACK THAT WE WOULD SEEK TO SOLVE THIS PROBLEM. WHEN I BECAME FOREIGN SECRETARY IT WAS JUST ABOUT THE MOST DIFFICULT PROBLEM ON MY LAP. AND WE BEGAN THE PROGRAMME OF VOLUNTARY REPATRIATION AND ORDERLY REPATRIATION WITH SOME DIFFICULTY BUT IT HAS WORKED. IT'S NOT COMPLETE, IT'S HALF WAY, AS YOU CLEARLY KNOW. I DISCUSSED IT IN HANOI YESTERDAY WITH THE VIETNAMESE AND THEY ARE WILLING TO CONTINUE TO CO-OPERATE AND THE ORP FLIGHTS WILL, I THINK, RESUME PRETTY SOON FROM WHAT I HEAR. SO I THINK WE HAVE TO PERSEVERE WITH THIS. OF COURSE WE'RE NOT THROUGH ALL THE DIFFICULTIES BUT I THINK WE HAVE AN OBLIGATION TO HONG KONG. PEOPLE IN HONG KONG WERE VERY RELUCTANT TO SEE THE BOAT PEOPLE COME IN THE FIRST PLACE AND I THINK IF WE WERE TO ABANDON THE PROGRAMME HALFWAY THROUGH THE RESENTMENT HERE WOULD BE UNDERSTANDABLE AND STRONG.

QUESTION: THERE ARE GOING TO BE PENALTIES FOR THIS ON ALL SIDES. MAY BE VERY, VERY UNPLEASANT IN THE NEXT MOVES.

IT

FOREIGN SECRETARY: THERE HAVE ALWAYS BEEN DIFFICULTIES WITH THE ORP BUT THEY HAVE BEEN OVERCOME IN THE PAST AND WE NEED TO PERSEVERE. OTHERWISE, ONE IS SIMPLY GIVING UP AND CEASING TO TRY TO TACKLE A PROBLEM WHICH LOOMED LARGE AND COULD LOOM LARGE AGAIN, YOU HAVE TO TRY AND CONTINUE TO TACKLE IT. WE'VE FOUND A WAY OF DOING SO, WE HAVE TO CONTINUE.

PEOPLE THE

QUESTION (ORIENTAL DAILY): IN WHAT WAY WILL YOU PUT FORWARD A RULING HONG KONG CONCEPT TO MR QIAN QICHEN WHEN YOU TWO MEET OR FORMATION OF THE SAR GOVERNMENT?

FOREIGN SECRETARY: IN WHAT WAY WILL WE

QUESTION (ORIENTAL DAILY): IN WHAT WAY WILL YOU PUT FORWARD THE CONCEPT OF HONG KONG PEOPLE RULING HONG KONG AND THE FORMATION OF SAR GOVERNMENT, TO MR QIAN?

THE

/FOREIGN SECRETARY: