MARADW (3)
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always, we shall want to ensure that the decisions we take are the right ones and reflect the wishes of the community as a whole.
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There have been growing calls in Hong Kong for a faster rate of change. Our task is to determine to what extent a consensus now exists.
Clear that we shall need to reconsider present plans for Legislative Council elections in 1991.
VIETNAMESE BOAT PEOPLE
Hong Kong still facing critical situation as result of sheer number of Vietnamese boat people in territory. Almost 33,000 boat people have arrived in Hong Kong so far this year. Total boat people population there now stands at over 56,000.
It is very much to Hong Kong's credit that the authorities have managed to accommodate such a huge influx, despite the appalling practical difficulties.
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In response to this situation, British Government have stepped up their efforts to help Hong Kong.
Since the beginning of this year we have pledged or contributed a total of £17 million for emergency accommodation and to help cover other costs associated with boat people problem.
We have also undertaken to resettle a further 2,000 refugees from Hong Kong, in addition to the 13,000 we have accepted since the problem began.
At the International Conference on Indo-Chinese Refugees held in Geneva in June, we helped to secure resettlement commitments from other countries that should ensure that those in Hong Kong with refugee status (over 13,000) are resettled within three years.
Now focussing our attention on problem of what to do with those boat people who, after screening, do not qualify as refugees and who therefore cannot be resettled.
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At Geneva Conference, the principle was established that all non refugees must be returned to Vietnam. The Vietnamese have given undertakings that returnees will not be punished or persecuted, and that their conditions can be monitored.
We have made a start by arranging for repatriation to Vietnam, under auspices of UNHCR, of 507 boat people who asked to go back. further 1,000 have also volunteered to return and arrangements are being made for this.
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But voluntary repatriation alone insufficient to deal with sheer scale of the problem.
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