TNAG-0801-FCO40-1005-Immigration-from-China-to-Hong-Kong-1978 — Page 163

REFUGEES

Deploring that Chinese citizens who seek asylum in Hong Kong without the authority of the People's Republic of China and who are consequently termed illegal immigrants, are, after interrogation without legal representation, repatriated to China by the authorities in Hong Kong;

Bearing in mind that one such illegal immigrant swam in shark-infested waters for 12 hours in an attempt to join her mother in Hong Kong and was, after 10 days' detention, forcibly returned to the People's Republic of China without being allowed to see her mother;

Taking into consideration the effect on the United Kingdom's reputation of the publicity given overseas by the media to this and similar cases;

Urges HMG to extend the applicability of the UN Convention of 28 July 1951 relating to the Status of Refugees and the Protocol of 1967, to Hong Kong and to any other dependent territories where these instruments do not yet apply.

Passed by the United Nations Association Executive Committee on

14th January, 1978