TUESDAY, JULY 4, 1989
SIR GEOFFREY VISITS TWO VBP DETENTION CENTRES
* * *
AND
THE SECRETARY OF STATE FOR FOREIGN SIR GEOFFREY HOWE, TODAY (TUESDAY) VISITED TWO THE NEW TERRITORIES FOR VIETNAMESE BOAT PEOPLE.
COMMONWEALTH AFFAIRS, DETENTION CENTRES IN
BARNES,
WA-SHEK, SIR DRIVEN TO THE
ACCOMPANIED BY THE SECRETARY FOR SECURITY, MR GEOFFREY AND THE COMMISSIONER FOR CORRECTIONAL SERVICES, MR CHAN
SHA, GEOFFREY FLEW BY HELICOPTER TO WU KAI WHITEHEAD DETENTION CENTRE.
AND WAS
DEPARTMENT AND THE CENTRE IS RUN BY THE CORRECTIONAL SERVICES
4,619 BOAT PEOPLE. PHASE ONE, WHICH OPENED IN JANUARY, ACCOMMODATES PHASE TWO OPENED ON JUNE 20, AND ALREADY ACCOMMODATES 3,250.
BRIEFED SIR GEOFFREY ON THE CORRECTIONAL SERVICES OFFICERS
VISIT, CENTRE'S OPERATION, AND SHOWED HIM AROUND THE HUTS, DURING HIS
INTERPRETER, ΤΟ GROUPS OF SIR GEOFFREY STOPPED TO CHAT, THROUGH AN BOAT PEOPLE.
FROM WU KAI SHA, SIR GEOFFREY FLEW TO SHEK KONG AIRFIELD WHERE, PEOPLE, THE GOVERNMENT IN THE FACE OF THE CONTINUING INFLUX OF BOAT OPENED A DETENTION CENTRE ON PART OF THE RUNWAY LAST MONTH.
ON JUNE 21, THE FIRST BATCH OF BOAT PEOPLE WAS MOVED IN THE NUMBER LIVING IN THE TENTED ACCOMMODATION NOW TOTALS 4, 192.
THE
GOVERNMENT, BRITISH
WHICH IN APRIL
AND
AND JUNE ANNOUNCED KONG IN PROVIDING IN EXTRA TENTS AFTER
CONTRIBUTIONS TOTALLING $135 MILLION TO HELP HONG EMERGENCY ACCOMMODATION FOR BOAT PEOPLE, FLEW THE LOCAL SUPPLY WAS EXHAUSTED.
THE ACCEPTED
SIR GEOFFREY WAS SHOWN THROUGH THE CENTRE, WHICH IS RUN BY POLICE, AND WAS ALSO INTRODUCED TO SOME BOAT PEOPLE WHO HAVE OFFERS OF REPATRIATION TO THEIR HOMELAND.
HIS TOUR OF THE FORCES, BRIGADIER GILES FOR THE NEW TERRITORIES,
AMONG THOSE WHO ACCOMPANIED SIR GEOFFREY ON CENTRE WERE THE DEPUTY COMMANDER OF BRITISH ARNOLD, AND THE POLICE REGIONAL COMMANDER MR RICHARD SMALLSHAW.
SPEAKING TO REPORTERS AFTER THE VISIT, SIR GEOFFREY SAID: LIKE TO GIVE YOU THREE STRONG REACTIONS FROM MY VISIT TODAY TO TWO THE MANY BOAT PEOPLE CAMPS HERE IN HONG KONG.
"I'D OF
JUST HOW WELL THE HONG "FIRST OF ALL, I WOULD LIKE TO SAY
I WOULD KONG AUTHORITIES ARE COPING WITH THE FLOOD OF NEW ARRIVALS.
THE POLICE, THE LIKE TO PAY A WARM TRIBUTE TO ALL THOSE INVOLVED,
VOLUNTARY SERVICE CORRECTIONAL SERVICE OFFICERS, THE AUXILIARY AND WORKERS.
KONG ALONE, HAS "THE BRITISH GOVERNMENT, IN HONG
MILLION, OVER 12 MILLION POUNDS STERLING, THAT IS HK$150 MONTHS. THE TENTS YOU HAVE GOT HERE ARE ONE RESULT OF THAT.
CONTRIBUTED IN RECENT
/"THE SECOND