XN000022-1989-02-15 — Page 11

WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 15, 1989

CLOSED AREA RESTRICTIONS KEPT UNDER REVIEW

NEED FOR THE GOVERNMENT KEEPS THE

AREA CLOSED

RESTRICTIONS BE MADE WHERE POSSIBLE TO UNDER REGULAR REVIEW AND CHANGES WILL MINIMISE INCONVENIENCE TO LOCAL RESIDENTS, THE SECRETARY FOR SECURITY, THE HON GEOFFREY BARNES, TOLD THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL TODAY (WEDNESDAY).

FROM THE HON LAU HE WAS REPLYING A QUESTION

WONG-FAT, WHO

ASKED IF

THE STRINGENT THE

WOULD CONSIDER GOVERNMENT

RELAXING RESTRICTIONS ON THE MOVEMENTS OF RESIDENTS AND VISITORS IN AND OUT THE SHA TAU KOK CLOSED AREA.

OF

OF SHA THE

MR BARNES SAID THE GOVERNMENT WAS AWARE OF THE CONCERN TAU KOK RESIDENTS, AND THE RESTRICTIONS ON MOVEMENT IN AND OUT OF CLOSED AREA HAD BEEN MADE AS SIMPLE AS POSSIBLE.

CASES OR

WHERE

FOR PERMITS BY THE POLICE,

"ANY COMPLAINTS

APPLICANTS EXPERIENCE DIFFICULTY WILL BE INVESTIGATED PROMPTLY HE SAID.

HE ALSO POINTED OUT

AREA WITHIN THE CLOSED IMPROVED.

THAT

SOME

AND

DEVELOPMENT HAD SHA TAU KOK TOWN WAS

TAKEN BEING

PLACE GREATLY

"BUT THIS REDEVELOPMENT IS INTENDED ONLY TO IMPROVE

то NOT

OPEN UP THE AREA FOR EXISTING RESIDENTS AND DEVELOPMENT, MR BARNES ADDED.

Н

CONDITIONS

FOR GENERAL

HE STRESSED THAT THE RESTRICTIONS ON MOVEMENT INTO AND

GENERAL RESTRICTIONS ON THE

OUT OF FRONTIER

SHA TAU KOK WERE PART OF THE CLOSED AREA WHICH RAN ALONG THE LENGTH OF THE BORDER WITH CHINA.

THE FRONTIER CLOSED AREA WAS THEREFORE THE SYSTEM FOR PREVENTING ILLEGAL IMMIGRATION.

AN ESSENTIAL PART OF

RELATIVELY

"ALTHOUGH PRESENT LEVELS OF ILLEGAL IMMIGRATION ARE

WE NEED TO GUARD AGAINST ANY LOW, THE PROBLEM STILL PERSISTS AND RESURGENCE," HE SAID.

"IN 1988, A TOTAL OF 20,987 II'S WERE ARRESTED, OF 9,000 WERE ARRESTED ON THE LAND BORDER.

WHICH

OVER

"WITHOUT

THE FRONTIER

CLOSED AREA,

THE

DIFFICULTIES

OF

INTERCEPTING II'S WOULD BE VERY MUCH GREATER."

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