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031663 MDLIAN 0913
ICALLY. MEMBERS CITED RESENTMENT OVER THE LONG AND DIFFICULT DCA NEGOTIATIONS: THE TREATMENT OF HONG KONG TRAVELLERS AT PORTS OF ENTRY IN THE UK: AND THE LENGTH OF TIME TAKEN BY HMG TO AGREE TO A CHANGE OF POLICY ON VIETNAMESE BOAT PEOPLE. HONG KONG PEOPLE FELT THAT THEY HAD TO PUT IN A GREAT DEAL OF EFFORT IN ORDER TO IMPRESS THEIR CONCERNS ON HMG. MEMBERS SUGGESTED THAT HMG COULD GAIN A GREAT DEAL OF POLITICAL MILEAGE IF THEY COULD BE SEEN TO ANTICIPATE CONCERNS RATHER THAN GIVING THE IMPRESSION THAT THEY WERE PREPARED TO MOVE ONLY UNDER PRESSURE.
5. LORD GLENARTHUR SAID THAT HE FOUND IT DIFFICULT TO ACCEPT THE SUGGESTION THAT HMG WAS GIVING HONG KONG INSUFFICIENT PRIORITY. ENORMOUS EFFORTS HAD BEEN DEVOTED TO HONG KONG'S PROBLEMS: BUT IT HAD TO BE RECOGNISED THAT IT TOOK TIME TO REACH SATISFACTORY SOLUTIONS.
6. MEMBERS SAID THAT, FOLLOWING THE CHANGE OF POLICY ON VIETNAMESE BOAT PEOPLE, THE FOCUS IN HONG KONG WOULD NOW SHIFT TO THE RATE OF RESETTLEMENT TO THE UK. LEGCO MEMBERS RETURNING FROM THE RECENT CONFERENCE IN WASHINGTON HAD REPORTED HINTS FROM THE AMERICANS THAT THEY WOULD BE PREPARED TO RESETTLE MORE BOAT PEOPLE PROVIDED THAT BRITAIN TOOK THE LEAD.
7. MEMBERS SAID THAT THE SECOND POINT OF FOCUS WOULD BE THE COST OF KEEPING THE BOAT PEOPLE IN HONG KONG. THERE WAS RESENTMENT THAT THE UNHCR WAS APPARENTLY DISCRIMINATING AGAINST HONG KONG BY REQUIRING IT TO PAY A MUCH LARGER SHARE OF THE COST OF MAINTAINING BOAT PEOPLE THAN OTHER TERRITORIES OF FIRST ASYLUM.
8. LORD GLENARTHUR SAID THAT THE AMERICAN SUGGESTION THAT THE USA MIGHT BE PREPARED TO TAKE MORE BOAT PEOPLE IF THE UK TOOK THE LEAD WOULD BE EXAMINED CAREFULLY TO DISCOVER WHAT SORT OF FIGURE THE AMERICANS HAD IN MIND. BUT IT WOULD BE NECESSARY FOR HMG TO DECIDE ON ITS OWN POSITION BEFORE THE MATTER COULD BE TAKEN FURTHER WITH THE USA GOVERNMENT. GENERALLY, THERE WAS A NEED FOR MORE RESETTLEMENT: HMG WOULD RAISE THE MATTER WITH RESETTLEMENT COUNTRIES. HE PROMISED TO REPORT MEMBERS' CONCERN TO OTHER MINISTERS. ON THE QUESTION OF COSTS IT HAD TO BE RECOGNISED THAT UNHCR HAD OTHER PREOCCUPATIONS, FOR EXAMPLE, IN AFGHANISTAN. ACCOUNT HAD TO BE TAKEN ALSO OF THE UK CONTRIBUTION OF ABOUT POUNDS STERLING 17 MILLION ANNUALLY TO UNHCR FUNDS.
9. MEMBERS REPORTED ON THE RECENT VISIT TO HONG KONG BY THE BEIJING MEMBERS OF THE BASIC LAW DRAFTING COMMITTEE. THE LATTER HAD MADE
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