CONFIDENTIAL
The policy, which is undoubtedly distasteful, has been criticised,
though not vehemently, by British MPs and journalists visiting Hong Kong. The British Refugee Council, the main UK body concerned with
refugee questions (partly funded by the Home Office) have examined
the policy and have made suggestions as to how the centres might be improved. Some of these have been implemented. The BRC appear to
regard the centes as a necessary evil, and recognise that there is
then no prospect of the Hong Kong Government abandoning it while boat
people continue to arrive. UNHCR, although they help finance the
centres have stated publicly that they consider the detention of
refugees "under prison-like conditions for prolonged periods of
time, in accordance with a policy of so-called humane deterrence" to
be "at variance with the principles of international protection".
(Notes on International Protection, 9 August 1984).
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7.
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The closed camp policy is the only measure that the Hong Kong
Government have 80 far taken to try to deter Vietnamese from
travelling to Hong Kong. Although it by no means provides a
complete answer to the problem (refugees continue to arrive), and has itself created new problems, the Hong Kong Government consider
tha the advantages of the policy decisively outweigh the
disadvantages and that this one measure
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of deterrence must continue.
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CONFIDENTIAL