XN000022-1985-07-04 — Page 3

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JULY 4, 1085

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+WHAT WE ARE NOW ASKING THESE BOAT BRIDES TO DO IS TO KETURN TO THE PLACE FROM WHERE THEY CAME AND APPLY TO COME TO HONG KONG LEGALLY, HE SAID.

HE POINTED OUT THAT STATISTICS COMPILED BY THE CENSUS AND STATISTICS DEPARTMENT IN 1983-84 SHOWED THAT ABOUT 60 PER CENT OF ALL PEOPLE WHO CAME TO HONG KONG ON ONE-WAY PERMITS WERE WIVES AND CHILDREN SOME 30 PER CENT WIVES AND 30 PER CENT CHILDREN.

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+THAT MEANS ABOUT 8 000 WIVES COME IN EACH YEAR UNDER THE ONE-WAY PERMIT SCHEME.+

HE SAID IT HAD BEEN MADE VERY CLEAR TO FISHERMEN AND THE IR ASSOCIATIONS THAT ARRANGEMENTS UNDER WHICH +BOAT BRIDES WERE TOLERATED IN HONG KONG WATERS ONLY APPLIED TO FISHERMEN.

+ IF THEY WERE NOT FISHERMEN, THEY SHOULD FOLLOW THE PROPER PROCEDURES,+ HE SAID.

+ IN FACT | THINK FISHERMEN'S WIVES ARE IN A SLIGHTLY BETTER POSITION THAN WIVES OF OTHER PEOPLE IN THAT IF THEY HAD APPLIED FOR ONE-WAY PERMITS DURING THE TIME THEY WERE FISHERMEN, THEY COULD IN FACT BE STAYING WITH THEIR HUSBANDS ALL THE TIME UNTIL THE PERMIT IS ISSUED AND THEY COULD IN FACT COME TO HONG KONG EVEN WITHOUT A TWO-WAY PERMIT, WHICH IS REQUIRED BY WIVES OF OTHER HONG KONG RESIDENTS, HE SAID.

MR YEUNG SAID HE DID NOT THINK REPORTS THAT THE 14 +BOAT BRIDES+ HAVE HAD THEIR NAMES STRUCK OFF THE PROVINCIAL REGISTER IN CHINA WERE ACCURATE.

+ IT HAS BEEN A LONG STANDING PRACTICE FOR HONG KONG TO

SOME OF THESE MIGHT REPATRIATE ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS TO CHINA. HAVE BEEN HERE FOR A NUMBER OF YEARS.

+THEY HAVE ALL BEEN ACCEPTED BACK READILY AND AS A MATTER OF FACT, SIX BOAT WIVES WHO VIOLATED THEIR CONDITIONS OF REMAINING IN HONG KONG WATERS WERE ALSO REPATRIATED TO CHINA EARLY THIS YEAR.

+THEY WERE ALSO READILY ACCEPTED BACK.+

COMMENTING ON REPORTS THAT MARRIAGE TO FOREIGNERS MAY CAUSE A WOMAN'S NAME TO BE DELETED FROM THE REGISTER, MR YEUNG SAID HE AGAIN DID NOT BELIEVE THEY WERE ACCURATE.

+BECAUSE THERE ARE OTHER WIVES IN CHINA

WE ESTIMATE THE

NUMBER IS ABOUT 80 000.

+HONG KONG RESIDENTS CONTINUE TO GET MARRIED IN CHINA MO EVIDENCED BY THE FACT THAT WE ISSUE ABOUT 15 001 CERTIFICATES OF ABSENCE OF MARRIAGE IN HONG KONG PER YEAR.

+IF ALL