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MDHIAN 3700
I HAD, OF COURSE, BEEN EXTENSIVELY BRIEFED ABOUT HONG KONG BEFORE I CAME HERE BUT THERE IS NO SUBSTITUTE FOR SEEING THINGS FOR YOURSELF. THE SPLENDID PROGRAMME WHICH THE HONG KONG GOVERNMENT HAS ARRANGED FOR ME OVER THE PAST THREE DAYS HAS CERTAINLY ENABLED ME TO DO THAT. I HAVE BEEN IMMENSELY IMPRESSED WITH WHAT I HAVE SEEN AND ABOVE ALL BY THE SHEER PACE OF PHYSICAL CHANGE IN HONG KONG SEMI- COLON AND BY THE RAPIDLY IMPROVING QUALITY OF LIFE SEMI-COLON BY THE VITALITY AND ENTERPRISE OF HONG KONG PEOPLE SEMI-COLON AND BY THEIR POSITIVE APPROACH TO THE CHANGES CONFRONTING THEM.
AS YOU WILL IMAGINE, LADIES AND GENTLEMEN, MANY ISSUES HAVE BEEN RAISED WITH ME DURING MY VARIOUS DISCUSSIONS. I SHOULD LIKE
TO SAY A WORD ABOUT THREE OF THEM. FIRST THERE IS THE REVIEW OF
REPRESENTATIVE GOVERNMENT. THE PERIOD OF PUBLIC CONSULTATION ON THE GREEN PAPER WILL SHORTLY COME TO AN END AND THE SURVEY OFFICE WILL PRODUCE ITS REPORT. IT WOULD BE WRONG FOR ME TO TRY TO FORECAST THE CONTENTS OF THAT REPORT OR TO PRE-JUDGE THE OUTCOME OF THE REVIEW AS A WHOLE. I WOULD SIMPLY LIKE TO STATE ONCE MORE THAT THE REVIEW IS GENUINE SEMI-COLON NO DECISIONS CAN OR WILL BE TAKEN UNTIL THE REVIEW PROCESS IS COMPLETE. WHEN DECISIONS ARE TAKEN FULL WEIGHT WILL BE GIVEN TO THE VIEWS OF HONG KONG PEOPLE.
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SECONDLY THERE IS THE QUESTION OF VIETNAMESE REFUGEES. I AM ACUTELY AWARE OF THE PROBLEMS WHICH HONG KONG FACES OVER THE CONTINUING INFLUX OF PEOPLE FROM VIETNAM. I HAVE DISCUSSED THESE PROBLEMS WITH THE GOVERNOR THE EXECUTIVE COUNCIL AND WITH OMELCO
MEMBERS. ALL HAVE IMPRESSED ON ME THE SERIOUSNESS OF THE PRESSURE HONG KONG. I HAVE ALSO TAKEN THE OPPORTUNITY OF THE VISIT HERE OF THE BRITISH AMBASSADOR TO HANOI TO OBTAIN HIS FIRST HAND VIEWS.
THIS MORNING I VISITED TWO VIETNAMESE REFUGEE CAMPS. I WANT TO ASSURE YOU THAT THE BRITISH GOVERNMENT ARE DOING EVERYTHING WE REALISTICALLY CAN TO ASSIST HONG KONG FIND SOLUTIONS TO THESE
VERY SERIOUS PROBLEMS.
ON
/
FIRSTLY WE ARE ACTIVELY ENGAGED IN TRYING TO FIND RESETTLEMENT OPPORTUNITIES FOR REFUGEES NOW IN HONG KONG. WE HAVE TAKEN NEARLY 13,000 REFUGEES FROM HONG KONG OURSELVES IN THE PAST 12 YEARS SEMI- COLON AND WE ANNOUNCED A FURTHER QUOTA OF OVER 450 EARLIER THIS YEAR. WE ARE VIGOROUSLY ENCOURAGING OTHER RESETTLEMENT COUNTRIES TO TAKE
MORE.
SECONDLY,
WE RECOGNISE THAT RESETTLEMENT ALONE IS NOT THE
ANSWER. WE ARE WORKING IN CLOSE CONCERT WITH UNHCR AND WITH OTHER
RESETTLEMENT COUNTRIES TO FIND A LASTING AND PERMANENT SOLUTION TO
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