TNAG-1273-FCO40-1623-Vietnamese-refugees-in-Hong-Kong-1983 — Page 11

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Question No. 8

Reply by the Secretary for Security to a question by the Hon. Lydia Dunn, CBE, JP in the Legislative Council on 11 May 1983

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Question:

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Would the Government

a)

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c)

a)

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comment on reports that security forces had to be put on standby at the closed camp at Chi Ma Wan as a precaution against an outbreak of violence between North and South Vietnamese on the occasion of the anniversary of the fall of Saigon;

agree that Hong Kong's willingness to accept all Vietnamese on arrival, regardless of doubts as to their status as refugees, involves a substantial commitment in financial and other terms;

further agree that, in these circumstances, unruly behaviour thereby adding to the problem of looking after them is intolerable; and

state what sanctions are available under the rules governing closed camps to punish and discourage trouble makers?

Reply:

(a)

(b)

Sir, I can confirm that the Government did step up its normal security precautions in the closed centres at Chi Ma Wan and Hei Ling Chau for a few days at the end of April, including 30 April the anniversary of the fall of Saigon. These additional precautions included the deployment of additional Correctional Services officers to Chi Ma Fan as standby reinforcements. In the event, the anniversary passed without incident.

Yes Sir. We have recently completed an assessment of the full costs which our role as a place of first asylum for refugees has imposed on us. From

1 December 1978 to 2 July 1982 when we introduced closed centres, the cost to the Government of