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WEDNESDAY, JUNE 6, 1979
+SUCH PERSONS LEAVE EVEN THOUGH THEY KNOW THAT IF THEY REACH CERTAIN SHORES WITHIN THE REGION THEY WILL BE DIVERTED FROM LANDING AND TOWED AWAY. THIS TREATMENT, HOWEVER, HAS NOT DETERRED THEM FROM ATTEMPTING TO GO TO THE COUNTRIES WHICH ADOPT THIS PRACTICE.
+THE FACT THAT VERY LARGE NUMBERS ARE NOW ACCOMMODATED IN OVERCROWDED GODOWNS AND IN THE IR JUNKS IN ANCHORAGES IN HONG KONG HAS NOT DETERRED THEM EITHER,+ MR. DAVIES POINTED OUT.
AVAILABLE RESOURCES FULLY DEPLOYED
IN OPERATIONS AGAINST ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS *******
ALL AVAILABLE RESOURCES WERE BEING DEPLOYED TO PREVENT ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS FROM SLIPPING INTO HONG KONG, AND ADDITIONAL MANPOWER COULD BE DEPLOYED FOR THIS OPERATION, THE SECRETARY FOR SECURITY, THE HON. LEWIS DAVIES TOLD THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL TODAY (WEDNESDAY).
+ IN DEPLOYING THESE FORCES ON ILLEGAL IMMIGRATION DUTIES IT IS NECESSARY TO PROVIDE LEVELS WHICH CAN BE SUSTAINED, AND IN THE CASE OF THE POLICE FORCE TO MAINTAIN ITS NORMAL LAW AND ORDER COVERAGE OF HONG KONG, HE SAID IN REPLY TO QUESTIONS RAISED BY THE HON. HILTON CHEONG-LEEN.
REFERRING TO THE DEPLOYMENT OF THE GARRISON IN ANTI-ILLEGAL IMMIGRATION OPERATION, MR. DAVIES SAID UNTIL RECENTLY TWO BATTALIONS AND TWO COMPANIES OF A THIRD BATTALION WERE ENGAGED. THIS HAD NOW BEEN INCREASED TO FOUR. SUPPORT TROOPS PROVIDED ADDITIONAL EFFORT WHENEVER THEY COULD BE MADE AVAILABLE.
FURTHERMORE, THE ROYAL NAVY HAD AUGMENTED ITS FIVE PATROL CRAFT BY ONE AUXILIARY VESSEL. UNTIL RECENTLY TWO VESSELS HAD BEEN ON PATROL WITH A THIRD AND FOURTH AT SHORT NOTICE. THE ROYAL NAVY HAD NOW INCREASED THE VESSELS ON PATROL TO THREE WITH OTHERS AT SHORT NOTICE IN RESERVE.
AS FOR THE ROYAL AIR FORCE AND ARMY AIR CORPS HELICOPTERS, THEY WERE PROVIDING THE MAXIMUM EFFORT POSSIBLE FOR SUPPORT OF ANTI-
ILLEGAL OPERATIONS.
MR. DAVIES ADDED THAT THE POLICE WERE DEPLOYING NEARLY 2,000 OFFICERS ON ANTI-ILLEGAL IMMIGRANT OPERATIONS.
+AT SEA THEY ARE OPERATING 24 OF THE IR OWN LAUNCHES, REINFORCED BY FOUR VESSELS FROM OTHER DEPARTMENTS. AN ADDITIONAL SIX GOVERNMENT VESSELS ARE AT PRESENT ASSISTING THE POLICE IN SHORT TERM INTENSIVE OPERATIONS, HE SAID,
THE ROYAL HONG KONG REGIMENT IS ALSO ENGAGED IN THIS ACTIVITY. IT PROVIDES TWO SQUADRONS FOR PATROLLING PRIMARILY AT WEEKENDS AND THE AUXILIARY AIR FORCE IS OPERATING BOTH FIXED WING AIRCRAFT AND HELTCOPTERS IN SUPPORT OF ANTI-ILLEGAL OPERATIONS.
MR. DAVIES