TNAG-0895-FCO40-1105-Refugees-from-Vietnam-in-Hong-Kong-Vietnamese-boat-people-1979 — Page 236

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UNCLASSIFIED

FROM UM MIS GENEVAMR113432 JUL 77

TO IMMEDIATE HONG KONG

TELEGRA NUMBER 19 OF 21 JULY 79

HKK 24

-24 11

INFO PRIOITY FCD ROUTINE PONG KONG GOVT OFFICE LONDON

REFUGES CONFERENCE

FOLLOWING IS TEXT OF SPEECH BEING MADE THIS AFTERNOON AT THE CONFERENCE BY THE COVERNOR OF HONG KONG.--

REGINS

MR SECRETARY GENERAL

1435A

23/7

23

반쪽

I AM MOST GRATEFUL TO YOU FOR GIVING PE THIS OPPORTUNITY

>

TO SPEAK TO THE CONFERENCE. AS A MEMBER OF THE UNITED KINGD H

DELEGATION WHO IS COVERNOR OF LONG KONG, I AM PERSONALLY AND INTIMATELY CONCERNED WITH THE TUMAN, POLITICAL AND SOCIAL IMPLI- CATIONS OF THE REFUGEE PROBLEM THIS MEETING HAS BEEN DISCUSSING,

HONG KONG IS NOW PROVIDING FIRST ASYLUM FOR 66,323 BOAT

REFUGEES FROM VIETNAM AND PERHAPS FOR THE RECORD I STQULD MAKE IT CLEAR THAT THE ONLY REFUGEES IN HONG KUNG ARE FROM VISTMAN. DURING THE FIRST SIX MONTHS OF THE YEAR THE RATE OF ARRIVAL HAS BEEN HIGHER THAN FOR ANYWHERE ELSE 1 THE REGION. AFTER PEAKING

IN JUNE, THIS MONTH BOAT REFUGEES CONTINUED TO COME IN AT A RATHER LOWER RATE OF SOME 533 A DAY. BUT A FEW DAYS BEFORE THIS CONFERENCE THE NUMBER DROPPED DRAMATICALLY - FOR INSTANCE YESTERDAY THE HUMBER WAS ONLY 13 AND THE DAY BEFORE WIL, IF THIS REDUCTION IS AN INDICATION OF THE CONCERN EXPRESSED BY THE DELECATE FROM

VIETNAM FOR THE EFFECT THE LARGE NUMBERS OF REFUTEES ARE HAVING IN THE REGION, AND RESULTS FROM PUNANE MEASURES, I WELCOME IT WHOLEHEARTEDLY: PARTICULARLY IF IT REFLECTS A PERMANENT POLICY, AS I HOPE IT DOES, AND NOT A NEGOTIATING TACTIC WHICH, IN EVERYONE'S INTEREST, I HOPE IT DOES NOT. WE IN HONG KONG WILL WAIT AND SEE AND HOPE.

PONG KONG IS A SMALL AND OVERGROUDED TERRITORY - A FARBOUR, AN EVER SPREADING CITY, AND THE REST IS MOUNTAINS. THE

BUILT-UP AREAS ARE THE MOST DENSELY POPULATED IN THE WORLD.

IT IS INTO THIS COMMUNITY THAT THE REFUGEES PAVE COME,

THEIR IMPACT IS DIRECT AND DRAMATIC. THEY ARRIVE IN THEIR OVER- LOADED BOATS, MOT TO SOME DISCPCCTLY DISTANT ISLAND ON TO AN

1

PER SHORE, CUT IN THE HATT FARBOUR OVERLOOKED BY MILLIONS AND UNLOAD IN THE VERY HEART OF THE CITY, IT IS AS THOUGH,

MR