TNAG-1733-FCO40-2446-Minutes-and-Hansards-of-the-Legislative-Council-of-Hong-Kong-1988 — Page 248

HIS EXCELLENCY THE PRESIDENT : Mr. LEE, I assume this is a

question in terms of Standing Order which is short and to

elucidate the points in statement just made.

MR. MARTIN LEE Indeed, Sir, under Standing Order 20 (2)

may I seek clarification from the Chief Secretary on his

statement regarding Vietnamese boat people hitherto

invariably called Vetnamese refugees as

to whether or not

the Government intends to relax the deadline for the

change of policy, namely, midnight tonight for those

Vietnamese boat people

boat people already on the way to Hong Kong/, Bearing in mind:

(1) that the

Government is going to change a

policy of a very long standing; and

(2) that it normally takes about three months

for those boat people to reach Hong Kong

after leaving the shores of Vietnam and if

not, why not?

CHIEF SE CRE TARY : Sir, I am afraid to adopt the

suggestions made by Mr. Martin LEE would create a great

number of difficulties both for the people who are coming

from Vietnam and for us here in Hong Kong. What he is

suggesting is to extend the deadline to sometime in the

future. That would inevitably lead to a very large rush

of people trying to meet a new deadline which we have said

I am afraid whenever there

rʊ

is

a result of his suggestion.

this

nature, some people are

a change of policy of

inevitably caught in that change. But I am satisfied,

my statement that we will honour

Sir, as I have said in my

under our new

arrangements,

the humane

international

obligations which we take most seriously.