4. All small boat refugees who are provided with temporary shelter
in Hong Kong in this way are looked after by the local representative
of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, who meets the
cost of their food and accommodation as well as undertaking to
arrange for their permanent resettlement in other countries.
5. Despite this assistance from the UNHCR, small boat refugees
are placing an increasing burden on Hong Kong; the rate of departure
of refugees for permanent settlement elsewhere has not kept pace
with the rate of arrivals and it has become very difficult to find
suitable accommodation for the increasing numbers. In 1978, only
just over 2,000 Vietnamese refugees from Hong Kong were permanently
resettled in other countries. By contrast, over 5,100 small boat
refugees were given temporary refuge in Hong Kong during 1978, and
a further 2,000 in January 1979 alone.
6. In addition, Hong Kong has been forced to accept over 3,300
refugees who arrived on board the Taiwanese-owned, Panamanian-
registered freighter, HUEY FONG. This vessel reached Hong Kong
on 23 December, despite having been told six days previously that
it would not be allowed to enter Hong Kong. The Master ignored
repeated requests to him to continue his journey to the port in
Taiwan that was his originally scheduled destination. After the
vessel had remained at anchor off Hong Kong for four weeks, the
Hong Kong Government felt obliged, out of common humanity, to allow
the refugees to land, even though this meant departing from their
namal policy of only accepting refugees from vessels where Hong Kong
was the first port of call. The Master of the vessel has now been
/charged