TNAG-1883-FCO40-2674-Visits-by-Lord-Glenarthur--Minister-of-State-for-Foreign-and-1989 — Page 86

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BUT SHE STRESSED THAT THE ULTIMATE GOAL SHOULD BE TO RESOLVE THE

WHOLE VR PROBLEM.

SHE SAID THAT OMELCO MEMBERS WOULD PURSUE THE OBJECTIVE OF ASKING

BRITAIN TO INCREASE ITS VR INTAKE AND TO EXERCISE ITS INFLUENCE ON

OTHER RESETTLEMENT COUNTRIES.

MRS FAN REITERATED THAT THE INCREASE OF VR INTAKE BY BRITAIN SHOULD

BE WITHOUT CONDITIONS.

COMMENTARIES

FIVE PAPERS COMMENTED ON LORD GLENARTHUR'S VISIT TO HK, WITH FOCUS ON HIS REMARKS ON THE VR/VBP ISSUE AT THE PRESS CONFERENCE YESTERDAY.

WAH KIU YAT PO SAID THAT BRITAIN'S PLAN TO OFFER FINANCIAL

ASSISTANCE TO HELP REPATRIATE THE VIETNAMESE IN HK HAD UNDOUBTEDLY

ILLUSTRATED ITS SINCERITY.

HOWEVER, THE PAPER REGRETTED THAT BRITAIN HAD REMAINED FIRM ON ITS DECISION NOT TO INCREASE FURTHER ITS INTAKE OF VRS FROM HK, AND THIS WOULD NOT HELP SOLVE THE TERRITORY'S VR PROBLEM AT SOURCE.

THE PAPER MAINTAINED THAT BRITAIN HAD A MORAL OBLIGATION TO HELP

HK SOLVE ITS PROBLEMS. IT HOPED OMELCO MEMBERS WOULD CONTINUE TO PRESS BRITAIN TO SOLVE HK'S VR PROBLEM AT SOURCES AND TO USE IT DIPLOMATIC INFLUENCE TO URGE OTHER RESETTLEMENT COUNTRIES TO TAKE IN MORE VRS FROM HK.

LORD GLENARTHUR'S VISIT SHOULD HELP BRITAIN GAIN A BETTER UNDERSTANDING OF THE SITUATION IN HK. IT WAS HOPED THAT THE BRITISH GOVERNMENT WOULD SHOW MORE CONSIDERATION FOR HK SO AS NOT TO MAKE HK PEOPLE LOSE CONFIDENCE IN BRITAIN.

IN A SHORT COMMENTARY, THE HK DAILY NEWS REGRETTED THAT BRITAIN AS A SOVEREIGN STATE, HAD FAILED TO TAKE THE LEAD IN HELPING HK SOLVE THE VR PROBLEM, AND THAT ITS ''DOUBLE STANDARD'' HAD EVEN LED TO UNDESIRABLE RESULTS.

THE PAPER CLAIMED THAT BRITAIN'S PLAN TO TAKE IN MORE VRS ON CONDITION THAT OTHER RESETTLEMENT COUNTRIES WOULD TAKE

CORRESPONDING ACTION SHOWED THAT IT LACKED SINCERITY IN SOLVING THE PROBLEM.

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