TNAG-0940-FCO40-1159-Visits-by-Foreign-and-Commonwealth-Ministers-and-officials-t-1980 — Page 3

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CONFIDENTIAL

NOTES ON FAMILIARISATION TOUR:

HONG KONG 10-13 NOVEMBER

Introduction

1. Two and a half of the three days in Hong Kong were taken

up with visits to refugee camps and detention centres and discussions with Hong Kong Government officials, local

voluntary agency workers, international agencies and foreign

diplomatic representatives. On the remaining morning, I

accompanied Mr Orr, the Assistant Political Adviser, and other HKG officials who were escorting the Vice Governor of Gwangdong province on a visit to the new town development of

Shatin in the New Territories. I also attended one of the

approximately quarterly meetings of the Hong Kong Community Council for the Resettlement of Vietnamese Refugees, a

local analogue of the JCRV Advisory Committee, chaired by

the Chief Secretary and Acting Governor, Sir Jack Cater.

HKG officials were extraordinarily generous of their time

and assistance, and arranged at short notice a useful flying

visit to the remote Chi Ma Wan detention centre which houses

the 'China cases', whose status gives UNHCR Protection Division such concern (see paragraph 3).

Refugee Conditions

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2. The Hong Kong refugee handling operation has of course

now stabilised, and there were clearly mature links between

the various Departments involved - primarily the Refugee

Division of Security Branch, Immigration, the Information

Division, the Political Adviser's Office and the Police ?

Special Branch, who debrief refugees on arrival, largely to determine whether they have been previously unsettled in China. I had discussions with the heads or acting heads

of all these elements (see Annex). The two camps which I

saw in Kowloon, Kai Tak North and East, are run by the

Hong Kong Branch of the British Red Cross and by Caritas respectively for UNHCR, and currently hold approximately 8,500 and 5,000 refugees respectively. Upwards of two thirds of adults have jobs outside (only 6% of refugees receive food allowances from UNHCR) and both camps were

CONEIĦENTIAL.

HKGD

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