TNAG-0793-FCO40-997-Refugees-from-Vietnam-in-Hong-Kong-Vietnamese-boat-people-1978 — Page 18

5. HONG KONG CANNOT BE A LONG-TERM HOME FOR THESE REFUGEES.

FURTHERMORE, DIFFICULTIES IN FINDING ACCOMMODATION AND HIGH MAINTENANCE COSTS (NOTE D), ARE AN INESCAPEABLE REALITY OF

ROVIDING CARE FOR THOSE REFUGEES WHO ARE LANDED TEMPORARILY

IN HONG KONG. SUCH LAND AS IS AVAILABLE IS REQUIRED FOR

TEMPORARY HOUSING FOR HONG KONG'S OWN PEOPLE AND FOR INDUSTRIAL

AND OTHER DEVELOPMENTS ESSENTIAL FOR THE SOCIAL AND ECONOMIC

HEALTH OF THE COMMUNITY.

6.

HONG KONG IS GRATEFUL TO THOSE COUNTRIES WHICH HAVE TAKEN SIGNIFICANT NUMBERS OF BOAT REFUGEES. IN SOME CASES A RELATIVELY SMALL NUMBER CAN BE SIGNIFICANT IN THE LIGHT OF SUCH FACTORS AS

SIZE AND OTHER REFUGEE COMMITMENTS. BUT SUCH COUNTRIES ARE TOO FEW AND THE NUMBER OF PLACES PRESENTLY AVAILABLE FALLS LAMENTABLY

SHORT OF WHAT IS POSSIBLE AND WHAT SHOULD BE DONE IF THE

INTERNATIONAL COMMUNITY AS A WHOLE IS FULLY TO LIVE UP TO THE HUMANITARIAN IDEALS WHICH ARE EXPRESSED SO ELOQUENTLY AT SO MANY

INTERNATIONAL MEETINGS. FINANCIAL CONTRIBUTIONS ARE IMPORTANT: BUT RESETTLEMENT PLACES ARE ABSOLUTELY CRUCIAL. THE 12,000

REFUGEES AND DISPLACED PERSONS FROM INDO-CHINA ALREADY ABSORBED

INTO HONG KONG ARE EQUIVALENT TO 0.26% OF THE POPULATION. THATIRERBENCOCETRIS&TCBESADERING

THE SCALE OF THE CONTRIBUTION WHICHYCCCN

6. HONG KONG IS GRATEFUL TO THOSE COUNTRIES WHICH HAVE TAKEN

SIGNIFICANT NUMBERS OF BOAT REFUGEES. IN SOME CASES A RELATIVELY SMALL NUMBER CAN BE SIGNIFICANT IN THE LIGHT OF SUCH FACTORS AS

SIZE AND OTHER REFUGEE COMMITMENTS. BUT SUCH COUNTRIES ARE TOO

FEW AND THE NUMBER OF PLACES PRESENTLY AVAILABLE FALLS LAMENTABLY

SHORT OF WHAT IS POSSIBLE AND WHAT SHOULD BE DONE IF THE

INTERNATIONAL COMMUNITY AS A WHOLE IS FULLY TO LIVE UP TO THE

HUMANITARIAN IDEALS WHICH ARE EXPRESSED SO ELOQUENTLY AT SO MANY

INTERNATIONAL MEETINGS. FINANCIAL CONTRIBUTIONS ARE IMPORTANT:

BUT RESETTLEMENT PLACES ARE ABSOLUTELY CRUCIAL. THE 12,000

REFUGEES AND DISPLACED PERSONS FROM INDO-CHINA ALREADY ABSORBED

INTO HONG KONG ARE EQUIVALENT TO 0.26% OF THE POPULATION.

THAT PERCENTAGE MIGHT BE BORNE IN MIND BY COUNTRIES CONSIDERING

THE SCALE OF THE CONTRIBUTION WHICH THEY CAN MAKE. 0.26% OF

THE POPULATION OF THE E.E.C IS APPROXIMATELY 663,000.

7. AN IMPORTANT ELEMENT IN HONG KONG'S RESPONSE TO THE PROBLEM

OF BOAT REFUGEES HAS BEEN MAINTENANCE OF THE PRINCIPLE THAT BOAT

REFUGEES BÉ LANDED AND PROCESSED AT THE FIRST SCHEDULED PORT OF CALL, WITHOUT PRIOR GUARANTEES (NOTE E)

IN CERTAIN CADEA