SATURDAY, AUGUST 22. 1987
FIRST BATCH OF ECVII'S REPATRIATED
THE FIRST BATCH OF 198 EX-CHINA VIETNAMESE ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS WHO ARRIVED IN THE TERRITORY RECENTLY WERE RETURNED TO CHINA TODAY (SATURDAY).
THE REPATRIATION STARTED AT 7.30 AM WHEN A CONVOY OF 10 ROYAL HONG KONG POLICE VEHICLES TRANSPORTED THE ECVII'S TO THE SHA TAU KOK BORDER CROSSING.
ONE BY ONE THE TRUCKS CROSSED THE BORDER, UNLOADED THEIR PASSENGERS AND RETURNED TO THE HONG KONG SIDE. THE LAST TRUCK CROSSED THE BORDER AT 9.40 AM.
THE FIRST BATCH WAS MADE UP OF 74 MEN, 68 WOMEN, 33 BOYS AND 23 GIRLS. ALL WERE FROM THE ZHUJIANG HUA QIAO FARM IN PAN YU COUNTY,
A GOVERNMENT SPOKESMAN SAID THE SPEEDY REPATRIATION OF THE FIRST BATCH WAS IN LINE WITH THE AGREEMENT BY THE HONG KONG AND CHINESE GOVERNMENTS THAT ALL ECVII'S WILL BE RETURNED ΤΟ CHINA AS SOON AS POSSIBLE.
THE NEXT BATCH WILL BE RETURNED AS SOON AS THEIR RESIDENCE HAS BEEN VERIFIED BY THE CHINESE AUTHORITIES.
BUSINESSMEN URGED TO HELP PROMOTE VOLUNTEER SOCIAL SERVICE
WITH PROPER ORGANISATION, THE TWO MILLION WORKING POPULATION IN HONG KONG CAN BECOME AN INVALUABLE ASSET IN PROMOTING VOLUNTEER SERVICE, DIRECTOR OF SOCIAL WELFARE, MRS ELIZABETH WONG, SAID TODAY (SATURDAY).
SHE WAS SPEAKING AT A CHARITY SALE ORGANISED BY THE AGENCY FOR VOLUNTEER SERVICE AT THE SHA TIN NEW TOWN PLAZA TO PROMOTE THE PARTICIPATION OF THE TRADE AND INDUSTRIAL SECTORS IN VOLUNTARY WORK.
SHE NOTED THAT THE "EMPLOYEE VOLUNTEERS" SCHENE LAUNCHED BY THE AGENCY HAD BEEN SUCCESSFUL IN BRINGING THE PARTICIPATION OF
THE TRADE AND INDUSTRIAL SECTORS TO A HIGHER LEVEL FROM THAT OF MERELY GIVING DONATIONS.
UNDER THE SCHEME, EMPLOYEES OF AN ORGANISATION FORM THEMSELVES INTO SERVICE GROUPS AND TAKE PART IN COMMUNITY SERVICES WITH SPONSORSHIP AND SUPPORT FROM THE EMPLOYER.
/SINCE ITS