PUBLIC REACTION
DESTRICTED
THE ENGLISH LANGUAGE PAPERS CARRIED REACTIONS FROM LEGISLATIVE COUNCILLORS, WELFARE AGENCIES AND CIVIL RIGHTS CAMPAIGNERS. SO FAR THERE HAS BEEN NO PUBLIC REACTION OR PRESS COMMENTARIES IN THE CHINESE LANGUAGE PAPERS.
COMMENTS FROM LEGISLATIVE COUNCILLORS INCLUDED MARIA TAM, WHO SAID THAT HK COULD ONLY CONSIDER LIFTING THE (CLOSED CAMP) POLICY IF BRITAIN WAS PREPARED TO TAKE ON ALL THE REFUGEES 'THAT COME OUR WAY''. SELINA CHOW GAVE A FLAT 'NO' TO THE PROPOSAL TO ABOLISH THE CLOSED CAMP POLICY AND STEPHEN CHEONG CHALLENGED THE BRITISH GOVERNMENT TO ADMIT ALL THE REFUGEES IN HK AND START AN OPEN CAMP POLICY THERE. RITA FAN SAID THE CLOSED CAMP POLICY WAS HK'S OWN AFFAIR AND HK SHOULD MAKE ITS OWN DECISIONS. CHEUNG YAN-LUNG SAID THERE SHOULD BE MORE CONCENTRATION ON RESETTLING THE REFUGEES, NOT ABOLISHING THE CLOSED CAMP POLICY.
SALVATION ARMY SPOKESMAN CAPTAIN JOHN MACPHERSON AGREED THAT BRITAIN SHOULD START TAKING IN MORE REFUGEES, BUT NOTED THAT ALTHOUGH THE RECOMMENDATION TO RESETTLE LOCALLY ETHNIC CHINESE IN THE CAPMS WAS GOOD IN PRINCIPLE, IT WOULD BE DIFFICULT TO IMPLEMENT. AND ABOLITION OF THE CLOSED CAMP POLICY ADVOCATE MRS ELSIE ELLIOTT SAID BRITAIN SHOULD DO MORE FOR HK'S REFUGEES, AND **NOW* WAS THE EXACT TIME TO ABOLISH THE CLOSED CAMPS.
COVERAGE APRIL 21/22, 1985
PRESS: IN PROMINENT COVERAGE, MANY
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INCLUDING THE LEADING LEFT-WING
TA KUNG PAO AND THE ENGLISH LANGUAGE PRESS, ON APRIL 21, QUOTED THE GOVERNOR SIR EDWARD YOUDE AS SAYING THAT HE WOULD CONFER WITH BRITISH MINISTERS AND MPS ON THE SCORRI REPORT DURING HIS STAY IN LONDON. IN HEADLINES, THE PAPERS GENERALLY STRESSED THAT THE GOVERN- MENT'S OBJECTIVE WAS TO MAINTAIN INTERNATIONAL INTEREST IN THE REFUGEE PROBLEM AS WELL AS A FLOW OF RESETTLEMENT OF REFUGEES FROM THE TERRITORY.
WHILE A FEW PAPERS PICKED UP THE SCM POST STORY ON SATURDAY, APRIL 20, ON THE REACTION OF LEGCO UNOFFICIALS AND THE SALVATION ARMY TO THE REPORT, SEVERAL OTHERS QUOTED LEGCO MEMBER ALLEN LEE AS REITERATING THAT THE HOUSE OF COMMONS DID NOT HAVE A GOOD UNDER- STANDING OF THE HK SITUATION AND ITS CRITICISMS OF THE CLOSED CAMPS IN HK WERE THEREFORE UNFAIR.
SPEAKING TO THE PRESS AT THE INAUGURATION CEREMONY OF A NEW HK POLYTECHNIC STUDENT UNION COMMITTEE ON SATURDAY, APRIL 20, MR LEE STRESSED THAT IT WAS CORRECT FOR HK TO IMPLEMENT THE CLOSED CAMP POLICY TO DETER THE INFLUX OF REFUGEES. WHILE NOTING THAT BRITAIN WAS THE COUNTRY WHICH HAD THE LOWEST REFUGEE INTAKE OVER THE PAST FEW YEARS, HE SAID IT WOULD BE WELCOMED IF THE UK WOULD ACCEPT MORE.
IN A LENGTHY LETTER PUBLISHED IN TIN TIN DAILY NEWS YESTERDAY, A GROUP OF READERS, WHO CLAIMED TO DE CONCERNED ABOUT HK'S SOCIAL DEVELOPMENT, URGED THE GOVERNMENT TO REVIEW THE CLOSED CAMP POLICY WHICH THEY DESCRIBED AS AN INFRINGEMENT OF HUMAN RIGHTS.
RESTRICTED
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