XN000022-1995-06-14 — Page 5

Governor: It's not the American administration's policy. It's a proposal which has been made in Congress. I think it's extremely unhelpful. And it's very unfair to the people in the camps because it raises their expectation in a way which can't and won't be fulfilled. So I very much hope that the situation is clarified rapidly and that those in the camps will recognise that their future lies in Vietnam where the economy does better and better rather than in Hong Kong, in camps which have cost the people of this territory about six billion HK dollars over the last years. So I think the sooner we can get on and complete the return of Vietnamese migrants within all the regulations set out and agreed with the UNHCR and all the agreements and arrangements which have been tested in the courts, the sooner we can do that and complete that, the better.

Question: You have promised that you'd the government promised to release a full statement after the bill of the CFA. But we have now also not known what happened between May 24 and the time of the agreement. In these two weeks, what happened that made you changed..... Would you promise to give us a full detail about that?

Governor: What happened between those two dates was that we had some hard negotiations and reached an agreement and the terms of that agreement have been made absolutely plain.

End/Wednesday, June 14, 1995

Governor visits Eastern District

The Governor, the Rt Hon Christopher Patten, toured Eastern District this (Wednesday) afternoon to familiarise himself with the latest developments in the district.

Mr Patten first visited the residents at the Mr and Mrs Lawrence Wong Lutheran Home for the Elderly in Siu Sai Wan.

This was followed by a call at the Caritas Lok Yi School for the Mentally Handicapped in Lei King Wan where he was briefed on the training and other services being provided for the mentally handicapped children.

The Governor then proceeded to Marble Road in North Point to have a look at the fixed-pitch stalls and shops selling wet and dry goods in the market area.