XN000022-1996-11-20 — Page 25

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We have raised the problem of new arrivals with the Vietnamese Government. We have requested them to take steps to prevent departures from Vietnam, and asked them to accelerate the clearance of new arrivals for repatriation, as we believe that speedy repatriation would deter more Vietnamese from coming. During the Secretary of State's visit to Hanoi from 31 October 2 November, the Vietnamese Government gave him a clear and helpful response to the question of new arrivals. Since then, the Vietnamese Government have cleared 131 Vietnamese migrants for return.

We have also sought the assistance of the Chinese Government in stopping the coast-hopping activities of Vietnamese migrants along the coast of southern China before arriving in Hong Kong.

Most of the new arrivals have come to Hong Kong for economic reasons, e.g. to seek illegal employment. The quashing of a syndicate producing forged Vietnamese refugee cards in August, and the stepped up identity card checks by the Police at certain locations should help discourage this.

End

Efforts to curb spouse-battering explained

Following is a question by the Hon Lee Cheuk-yan and a reply by the Secretary for Health and Welfare, Mrs Katherine Fok, in the Legislative Council today (Wednesday):

Question:

It is reported that there are more than 200 spouse-battering cases each year in the territory. Will the Government inform this Council whether:

(a)

(b)

details of the education and publicity work on the prevention of spouse battering over the past two years; and whether it has allocated funds to the Working Group on Battered Spouses to carry out such work; if so, of the amount of allocation and the breakdown of the allocation by expenditure items;

it will consider setting up half-way houses for battered wives who are unable to return to their former dwelling places and unable to find suitable accommodation, having regard to the fact that such women can only stay in temporary shelters for women for up to a period of three months: