WHETHER ONE OF THE PROBLEMS IS THAT RESETTLEMENT COUNTRIES
FEEL THAT THE VIETNAMESE ARE NOT GENUINE REFUGEES
I RECALL THAT THIS QUESTION WAS BROACHED AT YOUR HEARING
WITH MY COLLEAGUE MR WADDINGTON AND THAT BOTH A MEMBER OF THE
SUB-COMMITTEE AND MR WADDINGTON HIMSELF EXPRESSED THE VIEW THAT
A LARGE NUMBER OF THOSE REFUGEES COMING OUT OF VIETNAM AT
PRESENT ARE ECONOMIC RATHER THAN POLITICAL REFUGEES.
WE WOULD
AGREE WITH THIS ASSESSMENT.
HONG KONG ENDORSE THE VIEW THAT THE MOTIVATION FOR THE MAJORITY
OF THOSE LEAVING VIETNAM IS ECONOMIC IMPROVEMENT. THIS IS NOT
TO SAY, THOUGH, THAT GIVEN THE CONTINUING POLITICAL REPRESSION
IN VIETNAM, POLITICAL MOTIVATION DOES NOT CONTINUE TO PLAY A
INTERVIEWS WITH RECENT ARRIVALS IN
STRONG PART•
FURTHERMORE, AS MR WADDINGTON RIGHTLY SUGGESTED,
WE SHOULD NOT OVERLOOK THE FACT THAT THE VIETNAMESE GOVERNMENT
IS ITSELF RESPONSIBLE THROUGH ITS DEPLORABLE ECONOMIC POLICIES,
FOR CREATING ECONOMIC CIRCUMSTANCES WHICH FORCE PEOPLE TO TAKE
DESPERATE MEASURES. THEY ARE IMPLEMENTING POLICIES WHICH
INVOLVE THE EXTENDING OF STATE CONTROL THROUGHOUT THE ECONOMY,
PARTICULARLY IN THE MORE DYNAMIC SOUTH, WHERE PRIVATE BUSINESS
HAVE CONTINUED TO FLOURISH. WHEN YOU HAVE ECONOMIC POLICIES AS
EXTREME AS THIS IT IS DIFFICULT TO DRAW THE LINE BETWEEN
POLITICAL AND ECONOMIC MOTIVATION.
IF VIETNAM WERE TO WITHDRAW
ITS TROOPS FROM CAMBODIA AND INVEST IN ITS OWN ECONOMY THE
RESOURCES AND MANPOWER WHICH ARE DEVOTED TO THE CCUPATION OF
ITS NEIGHBOUR, THE VIETNAMESE ECONOMY MIGHT NOT BE IN SUCH A
PARLOUS STATE.
CONT.
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