UNHCR Poul Hartling's Visit to HK
Media Press Coverage and Comments
Tuesday, May 14, 1985
ANNEX B
UN High Commissioner for Refugees Poul Hartling's activities in HK yesterday, in particular his visit to the Bowring closed camp, were
extensively covered by all sections of the media.
The papers generally played up Mr Hartling's appeal to Britain to take the initiative in resettling VRs in HK so as to encourage other
countries to do more for the VRS here. Ming Pao headlined its story to the effect that Mr Hartling was satisfied with the conditions in the closed camp. In their reports, some papers quoted Mr Hartling as saying that although he did not support the closed camp policy, he respected the HK Government's decision and believed it had done its
best for the VRs.
A few papers added that Mr Hartling had lunch with the Governor yesterday before meeting Secretary for Security David Jeaffreson and
officials of the Security Branch. After the meeting, he told reporters that they had discussed feasible ways to resolve the VR problem.
Sing Tao Jih Pao quoted the visiting former Prime Minister Lord Wilson as saying that Britain had done very well in handling the VR
problem.
A few independent papers ran separate stories on the conditions in the Bowring closed camp. HK Daily News said the VRs were generally satisfied with the conditions in the camp. Oriental Daily News also noted that the conditions there were not as bad as envisaged.
Commentator Margaret Ng wrote in Ming Pao that HK had to wake up
to the fact that it had to absorb the VRs here one day when no other countries would accept them.
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