Malcolm Rifkind M.P.
House of Commons
London
Jimmy Boyle
East Muirend House 33 Gillespie Road Edinburgh EH130NW
Tel 031 4415313 Fax 031 441 5498
1.3.91
Dear Mr. Rifkind
I have recently returned from an extensive holiday in South East Asia, Australia, Indonesia and Hong Kong I would like to bring to your attention an incident that occured in the latter with specific reference to the way my family were treated, and question the relevance of out-of-date information being held on commputers; in my opinion, it was this that led to the matter arising in the first place. But first let me give you an account
of what actually happened.
On 12 February I landed at Hong Kong International Airport with my wife, and two children. At the Immigration checkpoint I was escorted to an interview room and told that information on the computer described me as an "undesirable". Whilst I appreciate that my background will follow me for the rest of my life, I do think that the behaviour of the Immigration Officials went beyond the bounds of decency.
These officials informed my wife and two children, aged 3 and 6, that they could enter Hong Kong on their own. This, as well as being unacceptable, would have left them stranded with no money. All the Travellers Cheques were in my name. I was told to sit on a bench and not leave it. All of us were held in this way for almost five hours. During that period we informed the Senior Immigration Official that we wished to speak to a U.K. representative about our situation. He informed us that there was no one whom we could speak to. I should add that this was early afternoon Hong Kong time. We requested that our children be allowed to go to the departure lounge with their mother for something to eat but were informed that there was no staff to escort them.
It was only after a great deal of pressure from us that they eventually allowed me to make a phone call to the Foreign Office in London. I was then escorted, as though under arrest, to a pay phone where I was able to call my assistant and then the Foreign Office. I was eventually put through to a Mr. Lloyd, who was extremely helpful. He informed me that there was a U.K. represenative at the Immigration Dept. at Hong Kong Airport and he would fax him. I take it this was done as all four of us were eventually released after being held into the early evening.
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