"ARMAGHEDDON"
17.
LET ME ADD ALSO THAT IF THE WORST CAME TO THE WORST,
AND THE FUTURE WE PLAN FOR HONG KONG BECAME UNTENABLE, THEN
AS MY RT HON AND LEARNED FRIEND THE FOREIGN SECRETARY SAID TO
THE FOREIGN AFFAIRS SELECT COMMITTEE, THE BRITISH GOVERNMENT
WOULD CLEARLY BE UNDER A VERY STRONG MORAL OBLIGATION TO ACT.
IF AT SOME POINT IN THE FUTURE PEOPLE HAD TO FLEE HONG KONG
IN GREAT NUMBERS TO ESCAPE DISASTER, THEN WE WOULD DO WHATEVER
WAS IN OUR CAPACITY TO HELP THEM. I AM CONFIDENT THAT ANY
FUTURE BRITISH GOVERNMENT WOULD DO EVERYTHING IT COULD TO
MOBILISE THE INTERNATIONAL COMMUNITY TO PROVIDE A RESPONSE AS
COMPREHENSIVE AND AS EFFECTIVE AS THE CIRCUMSTANCES
DEMANDED.
VIETNAMESE BOAT PEOPLE
18.
BUT WHILE HONG KONG GRAPPLES WITH THESE CONCERNS
ABOUT THE FUTURE, IT FACES ANOTHER VERY REAL PROBLEM
NOW. IT IS NO EXAGGERATION TO SAY THAT HONG KONG IS IN
IMMINENT DANGER OF BEING OVERWHELMED BY THE CONTINUING
INFLUX OF VIETNAMESE BOAT PEOPLE. RECENT ARRIVALS HAVE
HIT AN ALL TIME RECORD OF MORE THAN 1,200 IN ONE DAY.
/19. THE BURDEN THIS
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