CONFIDENTIAL
miampe ham Ms Barrett. Tel out 241/4
(19)
116010 MDLIAN 2204
HKC 241/4
? 2 MAR 1991
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CONFIDENTIAL
FM HONG KONG
TO PRIORITY FCO
TELNO 654
OF 011052Z MARCH 91
INFO ROUTINE UKMIS NEW YORK, UKMIS GENEVA
(15)
YRTELNO 361: BILL OR RIGHTS/VIETNAMESE AND 3RD PERIODIC REPORT ON
ICCPR
1. WE TAKE THE POINTS YOU MAKE IN PARAS 2-4 OF TUR. POINT (A) IN PARA 5 IS AS YOU SAY FAIRLY EASY TO MEET. POINT (B) WILL NEED TO BE COVERED IN SOME DETAIL IN THE REPORT. THE PURPOSE OF DETENTION IS A PUBLIC ORDER ONE, AND WE INTEND TO INCLUDE A PARAGRAPH ON THE FOLLOWING LINES IN THE DRAFT REPORT (WHICH WILL COME TO YOU SEPARATELY) TO MEET THE POINT YOU RAISE:
BEGINS
THOSE WHO ARE WAITING FOR THEIR REFUGEE STATUS TO BE DETERMINED, AND THOSE WHO HAVE BEEN DETERMINED NOT TO BE REFUGEES, ARE HELD IN DETENTION CENTRES AND ARE NOT IN NORMAL CIRCUMSTANCES FREE TO LEAVE THE CENTRES. IT IS CURRENT PRACTICE THAT THOSE WHO ARE RECOGNISED AS REFUGEES (PENDING RESETTLEMENT) ARE HOUSED IN OPEN CENTRES WHERE THERE IS NO RESTRICTION ON THEIR MOVEMENTS. THIS POLICY WAS INTRODUCED IN 1988 TO ENABLE HONG KONG TO COPE WITH THE MAJOR INFLUX OF UNDOCUMENTED VIETNAMESE MIGRANTS IT THEN FACED. AS A VERY SMALL AND VERY DENSELY POPULATED TERRITORY HONG KONG COULD NOT OTHERWISE HAVE HANDLED WITH DUE REGARD TO PUBLIC ORDER THE ARRIVAL IN LARGE AND UNPREDICTABLE NUMBERS OF OVER 50000 ASYLUM SEEKERS FROM VIETNAM OVER THE NEXT TWO YEARS. HONG KONG'S DIFFICULTIES WERE EXACERBATED BY THE HUGE NUMBER OF ARRIVALS IN 1989, WHICH AT TIMES REACHED A LEVEL OF 1000 ARRIVALS PER DAY A NUMBER OF TEMPORARY CAMPS HAD TO BE SET UP AS EXISTING CAMPS BECAME OVERCROWDED, WHILST MANY OF THE SERVICES AND FACILITIES PROVIDED WERE UNABLE TO OPERATE AT THE LEVELS THAT THE GOVERNMENT WOULD HAVE WISHED. THE LIVING CONDITIONS IN THE DETENTION CENTRES HAVE SINCE STEADILY IMPROVED AS NEW PURPOSE- BUILT ACCOMMODATION HAS BECOME AVAILABLE. A NEW DETENTION CENTRE AT TAI A CHAU WILL BE COMPLETED IN FEBRUARY 1991. THIS SHOULD HELP TO RELIEVE OVERCROWDING ELSEWHERE, AND PROVIDE SCOPE FOR MORE SERVICES AND FACILITIES AND GREATER PARTICIPATION OF ASYLUM SEEKERS IN THE MANAGEMENT OF THEIR CENTRES. BECAUSE THIS NEW CENTRE IS SITUATED WELL AWAY FROM THE MAIN URBAN AREAS, THUS ANY
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