Comments:
Page 7 and 8 of
the Submission:
1.6 This statement belittles the
efforts made by the Hong Kong Government to provide accommodation, care and maintenance for almost 200,000 Vietnamese asylum seekers in the past 18 years - in many cases far superior to the conditions they left in Vietnam. It also ignores the difficulties faced by the Hong Kong Government in providing accommodation for large numbers of Vietnamese asylum seekers
often at short notice. Since 1979, the Vietnamese migrant problem has cost the Hong Kong Government about US$700 million. In addition, the UNHCR have been unable to
discharge its financial obligations to the Hong Kong Government to which it owes US$100 million. The Hong Kong Government is justifiably proud of its record in providing safe shelter, care and maintenance to all Vietnamese asylum
seekers who have arrived in the territory.
"The Hong Kong Government has embarked on a programme that aims to make the camps less pleasant to encourage more Vietnamese to return home. For example, by June of this year, all social services will be
curtailed. Indeed, by August of 1993, under the official policy, there will be
no medical, social or educational
programmes in the camps. In 1992, the last time Hong Kong cut basic services,
there was massive riot which resulted in
the deaths of 24 Vietnamese at Shek Kong Camp."
s=612