TNAG-2033-FCO40-2896-Visit-by-Douglas-Hurd--Secretary-of-State-for-Foreign-and-Co-1990 — Page 109

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announced on 20 December would have made provision for

But they also welcomed what we had done

more people.

as a measure which would give key people the confidence

to remain in Hong Kong. They recognise that it was not

an easy step to take, and they are following carefully

the discussion in this country. They all hoped that it

will be possible for Parliament to give its approval

and for the scheme to begin to operate. I assured them

that the Government were fully committed to the

proposal.

The second issue discussed was the repatriation of

Vietnamese boat people. No-one in Hong Kong involved

in the repatriation of Vietnamese boat people takes

satisfaction in what had to be done, but the result

achieved was necessary.

Having seen the camps for

myself, I am more than ever convinced that return to

Vietnam in carefully controlled conditions is

preferable to camp life with no hope of resettlement

elsewhere. Hong Kong has paid a high price for its

principled policy of first asylum. We cannot expect

them to receive this year the same number of boat

people over 30,000 that they received last year.

There is nowhere for those boat people to go. The

policy of repatriation is therefore the right one, and

I hope that this may soon be endorsed by the

international community. I am grateful to my rt hon