XN000022-1995-04-12 — Page 4

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Question: This morning's verdict on the VBPS. From a humanitarian or from a morality point of view, can you justify why the Government should continue to hold people who are essentially not criminals.

Governor: First of all, I would like to say very clearly that we welcome the decision by the Court of Appeal. Obviously, we would want to study the judgement in detail. We will be getting in touch with the lawyers of the Vietnamese migrants to discuss their re-detention as soon as is reasonable and possible. But we will do that in as humane a way as we can. But I repeat, we welcome the decision taken by the Appeal Court. Every community recognises that it has to limit those who come and live in it. Particularly where they come not for any political reasons, but for economic reasons. If they come illegally, it is perfectly reasonable and recognised as such by the international community that they should be detained until they can be returned to their country of origin. That is done in many countries around the world. There are very few countries, there are very few communities which have handled such a difficult problem as humanely as Hong Kong has done. Of course we have our problems from time to time, we've learnt from those problems. But we've continued to handle the issue firmly, but with I think considerable humanity. That is what we will continue to do. I don't think that there is anybody who can reasonably give us lectures about how to deal with the difficult problem like this.

Question: What do you have to say to the Vietnamese who wonder how much longer they have to stay in there?

Governor: I'll say to them that they do not have to stay any longer at all. They can all return to Vietnam as rapidly as possible. You and I both know that Vietnam is starting to pick up speed economically, not least thanks to substantial investments from Hong Kong. Hong Kong is just about the biggest investor in Vietnam now. Not only in terms of absolute cash, but also in terms of the number of projects. It makes no sense at all for people to stay in camps in Hong Kong at the expense of our people rather than to return to Vietnam where they've got a life to lead and a contribution to make to the further development of the Vietnamese economy. So we will continue to return Vietnamese migrants as rapidly as possible and nobody should be in any doubt that that is our firm and clear intention. We intend to see it through.