HR.SECRETARY GENERAL, YOU HAD TEN OR TWENTY REFUGEE BOATS COMING UP THE EAST RIVER EVERY DAY DROPPING ANCE OR IN FRONT OF THE UNITED NATIONS HEADQUARTERS. THEY CANNOT BE, THEY MUST NOT BE, THEY ARE
NOT IGNORED.
WE HAVE TURMED NONE AWAY. DUT SO FAR THE BURDEN OF ACCOMODATION AND MAINTENANCE HAS MOSTLY FALLEN ON THE HONG KONG GOVERNMENT. THE FUNDS AVAILABLE TO THE UNITED NATIONS ICH COMMISSIONER FOR REFUGEES HAVE SO FAR ONLY ALLOWED HIS OFFICE TO LOOK AFTER 15,333 OF THE 66,938 IN THE TERRITORY. LITH THE NE FUNDS GENERATED BY YOUR APPEALS BEFORE THIS CONFERENCE WE POPE THAT HE WILL BE ABLE TO DO MORE.
THE UNITED NATIONS HIGH COMMISSION FOR REGUGEES ADMINISTERS THE CAMPS FOR WHICH HE HAS ACCEPTED RESPONSIBILITY THROUGH VOLUNTARY AGENCIES. THE WORK DONE BY THE UNITED NATIONS HIGH COMMISSIONER FOR REFUGEES AND THE VOLUNTARY AGENCIES IS TRULY MAGNIFICENT, AND I AM SURE THAT, AS THEY TAKE OVER CAMPS NOW RUN BY THE HONG KONG GOVERNMENT, THEIR ROLE WILL STEADILY INCREASE. MEAN FILE IT IS WORTH RECORDING THAT THE HONG KONG GVERNMENT HAS ALREADY SPENT OVER US DOLLARS-13 MILLION THIS YEAR ON REFUGEES, AND THAT WE EXPECT TO HAVE SPENT UP TO US DOLLARS 33 MILLION BY THE END OF THE YEAR.
HONG KONG IS AN OVER-POPULATED BUT INTENSE AND DYNAMIC SOCIETY. BUT BY HARD WORK, SOCIAL ADAPTABILITY, AND REALISH BASED ON ACCEPTANCE OF THE FACT THAT RESOURCES ARE LIVITED,
THE PEOPLE
OF HONG KONG HAVE MADE FOR THEMSELVES A STRUCTUER OF LIFE ENORMOUSLY DETTER THAN TEN YEARS AGO. IT IS THE BENEFITS OF THIS STRUCTURE THEY FEAR HAY DE ERODED BY THIS INFLUX OF BOAT REFUGEES OVER WHICH THEY HAVE NG CONTROL.
HR. SECRETARY GENERAL (MR CHAIRMAN), THE PROBLEM OF THE REFUGEES MUST BE SEEN IN TERMS OF SEPERATE BUT INTERCONNECTED OBLIGATIONS: THOSE OF THE PLACES OF FIRST ASYLUM: THOSE OF THE COUNTRIES OF RESETTLEMENT AND THOS OF THE COUNTRIES OF ORIGIN.
HONG KONG IS A PLACE OF FIRST ASYLUM. I CAN CLAIM WITH PRIDE THAT E HAVE CARRIED OUT OUR DELICATIONS TO THE FULL.
WE HAVE ALSO DONE WHAT WE COULD TO HOUSE AND TO FEED THOSE FOR WHOM THE UNHCR HAS BEEN UNABLE TO TAKE RESPONSIBILITY.
AS FOR COUNTRIES OF RESETTLEMENT I WOULD LIKE TO THANK THOSE WHO HAVE TAKEN REFUGEES FROM PONG KONG. I HOULD PARTICULARLY LIKE TO MENTION THE UNITED STATES WHICH HAS TAKEN A MAGNIFICENT
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