XN000022-1996-12-30 — Page 2

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Meeting between CE(Designate) and FS

There will be a meeting between the Chief Executive (Designate), Mr C H Tung and the Financial Secretary, Mr Donald Tsang tomorrow (Tuesday) in Mr Tung's office at 10.30 am.

Arrangements are being made for Mr Tung to meet the other principal officials over the next few weeks.

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No plan to resettle VRS in Hong Kong

The Government has no plan to resettle locally the 1,300 Vietnamese refugees (VRs) now staying in Hong Kong, a Government spokesman said today (Monday).

A newspaper report today said that the Government was considering various options to resolve the problem of the VRs, including resettling them in Hong Kong.

"Finding durable solutions for the refugees is primarily the responsibility of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR)," the spokesman said.

"The Hong Kong Government is only giving whatever assistance it can in this

regard,

The spokesman pointed out that UNHCR was vigorously finding resettlement places for the refugees overseas as well as persuading them to return to Vietnam.

"Under the Comprehensive Plan of Action which still applies to Hong Kong, we have no obligation to resettle them locally," he said. "And we have no plan to do

so."

End