TNAG-0894-FCO40-1104-Refugees-from-Vietnam-in-Hong-Kong-Vietnamese-boat-people-1979 — Page 114

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very least I would certainly expect this Conference to

receive pledges of long term resettlement for that group

of people, and what is more, to be prepared to roll forward

that resettlement programme if the need should so arise.

Maybe it is too much to expect that such a programme can

be mounted and completed within one year but the time-scale

must be such that the countries of South East Asia, that

that

..

the people of South East Asia, are confident that the

intolerable burden which has been placed upon them will be

lifted within a specific and reasonable period of time.

I do not believe this is asking too much. The generosity

of the United States of America in suggesting a resettlement

programme of 168,000 people a year provides a real hope that

a credible resettlement programme can be achieved at this

Conference. I cannot believe that the conscience of other

countries can be left so unstirred by the potential tragedy

of this problem that together they cannot match the United

States effort.

Finally, I would like to make a particular

plea on behalf of Hong Kong. I am proud to be able to say

to this Conference that despite all the pressures which beset

this small territory of ours, despite the fact that we are

one of the most densely populated territories of the world,

despite the effects our policies towards Vietnamese refugees

are already having on the social programme which we have designed

for the good of our own people, we have not abandoned the

humanitarian principles which are so dear to Hong Kong people

and to its Government. As I understand the situation, the

United Nations spearheaded by the UNHCR and all leading western

nations are doing their utmost to encourage the countries of

South East Asid to adopt/

As of today/...

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