CLOSED CAMPS IN HONG KONG
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I can assure the House that the closed centre policy was introduced with the greatest reluctance. But the Hong Kong Government believe, and we agree that these centres are a regrettable necessity. They were introduced to avert a situation in which the level of new arrivals was rapidly becoming intolerable.
This policy must necessarily have a deterrent effect. Over the years, I believe that it has contributed to discouraging Vietnamese from setting out on the dangerous voyage to Hong Kong. Furthermore, since the introduction of the closed centre policy, some 2,000 Vietnamese arriving in Hong Kong waters have elected to continue their voyage. If they so wish, their boats are repaired and re-victualled at the Hong Kong Government's own expense. The Hong Kong Government has never applied any coercion or pressure to the refugees in making their decision to stay or move on. We remain convinced that ending the policy now would result in even more leaving Vietnam. There would be an inevitable and tragic loss of life. Those who reached Hong Kong would place an enormous additional burden on Hong Kong's resources, which are already considerably stretched.
The Hong Kong Government and the British Government attach great importance to ensuring that conditions in the centres are as humane
as possible. I am sure that those members of this House who have visited Hong Kong's refugee centres agree that they are efficiently and humanely administered. We and the Hong Kong Government are of course alive to criticisms of the centres. The conditions there are
kept under constant review.
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