XN000022-1992-08-17 — Page 13

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MONDAY, AUGUST 17, 1992

VIETNAMESE ON MOVE TO PAVE WAY FOR CAMP CLOSURE

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ABOUT 2,000 VIETNAMESE MIGRANTS IN THE SHEK KONG DETENTION CENTRE WILL BE TRANSFERRED SHORTLY TO CHI MA WAN (LOWER) DETENTION CENTRE TO PAVE THE WAY FOR THE CLOSURE OF THE SHEK KONG CENTRE TOWARDS THE END OF THE YEAR.

THE ACTING REFUGEE CO-ORDINATOR, MR EDDY CHAN, SAID A REVIEW OF THE OVERALL VIETNAMESE MIGRANTS' SITUATION HAD CONCLUDED THAT THE SHEK KONG CENTRE SHOULD BE THE FIRST TO CLOSE DOWN BECAUSE THE FACILITIES AND CONDITIONS THERE WERE LESS FAVOURABLE THAN THOSE IN OTHER CENTRES.

"FURTHERMORE, THE CLOSURE OF THE SHEK KONG CENTRE WILL RELEASE MORE THAN 200 POLICEMEN FOR NORMAL LAW AND ORDER ENFORCEMENT DUTIES.

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MR CHAN SAID THE VIETNAMESE MIGRANTS' POPULATION HAD DROPPED BY ALMOST 10,000 IN THE LAST 10 MONTHS AND WAS EXPECTED TO CONTINUE ΤΟ DECREASE GRADUALLY AS AN AVERAGE OF MORE THAN 1,000 RETURNED VIETNAM EACH MONTH UNDER THE VOLUNTARY REPATRIATION PROGRAMME.

ΤΟ

ABLE

"PROVIDED THAT THE PRESENT TRENDS CONTINUED, WE SHOULD BE TO CONSIDER GRADUALLY CLOSING DOWN MORE DETENTION CENTRES AND AT THE SAME TIME GRADUALLY THINNING OUT THE POPULATION AT OTHER CENTRES SUCH AS THE WHITEHEAD DETENTION CENTRE, HE SAID.

THE FUTURE OF THE VOLUNTARY REPATRIATION CENTRE IN SECTION C OF SHEK KONG WILL BE REVIEWED ONCE THE OTHER SECTIONS ARE CLEARED.

AFTER THE ENTIRE CENTRE HAVE BEEN CLOSED, THE DETENTION CENTRE SITE, WHICH ACTUALLY IS PART OF THE AIR-STRIP OF THE SHEK KONG BARRACKS, WILL BE HANDED BACK TO THE GARRISON.

CENTRES

"THERE ARE AT PRESENT NO DEFINITE PLANS TO CLOSE OTHER AFTER SHEK KONG. WE WILL REVIEW THE SITUATION AS THE VIETNAMESE MIGRENTS' POPULATION DROPS FURTHER, MR CHAN SAID.

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ANNUAL REPORT ON ENVIRONMENT GOES ON SALE

THE GOVERNMENT'S CONTINUING COMMITMENT TO THE PROTECTION OF THE ENVIRONMENT IS REFLECTED IN THE WIDE RANGE OF PROGRAMMES SET OUT IN AN ANNUAL REPORT PUBLISHED BY THE ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION DEPARTMENT TODAY (MONDAY).

THE ENGLISH VERSION OF THE 165-PAGE REPORT *ENVIRONMENT HONG KONG 1992" CONTAINING 78 DIAGRAMS AND 20 TABLES OF TECHNICAL INFORMATION, AS WELL AS 158 PICTURES, GIVES A COMPREHENSIVE ACCOUNT OF THE WORK DONE TO PREVENT AND CONTROL POLLUTION LAST YEAR.

/"IT IS

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