TNAG-1891-FCO40-2684-Visits-by-Sir-Geoffrey-Howe-and-by-Douglas-Hurd--Secretaries-1989 — Page 78

FCO40 Hong Kong Department Records 聯邦事務部香港部檔案 All

4KON

PORE10# BBC) #PYRGO/VIKTRAMBEE BOAT PROFLR GANY

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4 JULY 80

PORBION SECRETARY (CURTD);

That is

The second point I want to make is to say how glad I am that there ware such generous resettlement pledges because thoas pledgos in respect of refugees mean that all those who qualify as refugeau

wil be on their way to new homes over the next three years. some 55,000 people in the region as a whole, of whom over 14,000 are here in Hong Kong. Ve are looking to the VHCR to help find new

homes for those people. The Philippine offer of land for processing centre to which the UK is prepared to contribute 20

million - that is 60 million Hong Kong dollars

should considerably

i

sase the burden on liong Kong.

My third reaction

and it is the most difficult one to state

is how wrong it is for so many people who will never qualify as

refugees to go ou com!

ming bera in vain because the truth is

Geneva Conference recognised

reco

!

-

as the

that they have no prospect of

resettlement anywhere else. For them to have to spend years in

camps is intolerable. Their only future lima back hom and they

must be allowed to return home in safety and in dignity,

--

-

That is

why we have been seeking and have obtained Assurances on those

points from the Government of Vietnam, so I hope that before long

these non-refugees will be returning to Vietnam in substantial

numbers and I urge as strongly as I possibly can those who are still

there not to set sail in pursuit of a dream of a life in the West

which does not and cannot exist. It is cynical indeed for anyone

to try to persuade them otherwise because there is no prospect that

they will able to make a normal life elsewhere.

Can I have two or three questions please!

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