Closed Centres A Necessity?
Life Behind The Wire
At Chimawan Closed Centre
The daily routine
At 6:30 a.m., the P.A. system announces a new day. Muster is at 7 and breakfast at 7:15. The diet includes rice, rice porridge, meat, fish, vegetables and fruit. Throughout the morning and afternoon, children go to school while their elders are free to do as they wish. Lunch is at 12:30 p.m. and dinner is served from 5 p.m. At night, the refugees watch T.V., read newspapers, play sport or chat in the cool evening breeze.
Medical facilities
A fully-staffed clinic operates inside the closed centre and specialist treatment is available at one of Hong Kong's hospitals.
Recreational facilities
In the centre of Chimawan is a large field where the refugees play vigorous games of basketball and volleyball.
Chimawan, an unavoidable deterrent
The aim of the closed centres is to deter future Vietnamese refugees from heading for Hong Kong. For several years, the boat people were allowed to mingle freely in the community, earning money from outside jobs while awaiting resettlement. This contrasted with some other countries in the region who pushed the boat people back to sea or housed them in primitive conditions. This favourable treatment led to Hong Kong becoming a favourite port for the boat people. Overcrowded Hong Kong had no choice but to introduce closed centres where the boat people live in minimal conditions of comfort and are cut off from the outside world. The first closed centre, Chimawan, on an outlying island, now holds 2,500 refugees. Still they come
Despite the restrictive conditions, the flow of boat people has hardly abated and the Hong Kong Government is now constructing new closed centres. Since 1978, the Hong Kong Government, UNHCR and welfare organisations have spent over HK$750 million to care for the boat people. Will the rest of the world come to their aid with resettlement offers?
Schooling
The refugee children are offered regular schooling. Boat people who were former teachers take classes supervised by a fully- qualified Hong Kong teacher.
111
Voluntary agencies
The Salvation Army conducts pre-school and cottage industry classes. A Dutch charity group teaches the refugees knitting, embroidery and needlecraft.