No
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Despite the large numbers, Hong Kong welcomed the refugees. They were
placed in camps while they awaited processing for resettlement in Hong Kong
and third countries. The Hong Kong government, along with the office of the
United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) and voluntary agencies,
provided the refugees assistance. The government also allowed them to work; a
number took unskilled or semi-skilled jobs in factories which helped to occupy
their time as well as provide them money. Because of its generous response,
Hong Kong soon became a favored destination of boat people. Its benevolence
contrasted with the policies of some of the other countries in the region,
which at times had refused entry to refugees or turned their boats back to sea.
Most of the refugees from Vietnam (73 percent) entering Hong Kong in 1979
were ethnic Chinese. They found acceptance and sympathy among the island's
population, which is almost all ethnic Chinese. But in 1980, the ethnic
composition of the refugees from Vietnam changed; most were ethnic Viet-
namese. This group represents almost all arrivals (98 percent) since 1980,
according to Hong Kong authorities. Moreover, substantial numbers have come
from former North Vietnam--38 percent in 1985, 28 percent in 1984, and 47
percent in 1983.
Reasons for ethnic Vietnamese fleeing Vietnam, including the north, stem-
med not only from differences over communism but also from more specific
causes, such as forced labor, employment bans, prohibitive taxation of coop-
erative members, and conscription. An additional reason was religious persecu-
Buddhists and Roman Catholics have been discriminated against in cases
tion.
that are well known and well established. Less known are examples of persecu-
tion of Protestants, often because of their "imperialist U.S. ties. Accord-
ing to a 1985 State Department study, Protestant churches in Vietnam have
received treatment as harsh as the Catholic churches and Protestants should be
regarded as likely to suffer persecution.