TNAG-1423-FCO40-1906-Vietnamese-refugees-in-Hong-Kong-general-1985 — Page 147

LKK

Refugee Action

Registered Office:

The Offices,

The Cedars, Oakwood,

Derby DE2 4FY.

Tel. 0332 - 833310

Chairman: Lord Chitnis

Director: Julia Meiklejohn

Mr. Tony Benn,

M.P. Chesterfield, House of Commons, Westminster, London SW1

Dear Mr. Benn,

origina

please reply to: Vietnamese Centre, The Cedars, Oakwood,

Derby DE2 4FY Tel: 0332-831273

6th January, 1985

(21

rehima:

858

5/2

As a refugee worker, based in Derby and involved in reuniting Vietnamese refugee families, I would like to draw your attention to the desperate situation of Vietnamese refugees in Hong Kong. As you may be aware, there are still refugees fleeing from Vietnam, and experiencing great hardship during their journey by sea.

They are arriving in various countries in South East Asia, including Hong Kong. Many are now stuck in camps in these countries as the sympathy and interest of the West has largely disappeared and few countries are now offering places of permanent resettlement.

The 13,000 refugees still in Hong Kong are the responsibility of H.M. Government as Hong Kong is still a Crown Colony. Of these, 6,000 are kept in closed camps as a deterrent to stop other refugees arriving. However, refugees are still arriving so the policy has not proved to be an effective deterrent. Conditions in the camps are reported as being cramped and prison like. and women are often kept separately - including husbands and wives in some cases. There are no educational facilities, and there are restrictions on sending and receiving letters. The camps are administered by the Correctional Services Department, and yet the refugees are neither criminals nor juvenile delinquents.

In Hong Kong, there are 584 refugees in camps who have close relatives living in Britain. Because of these family links with Britain, no other country of possible resettlement will consider them. An application has already been made through the normal channels to have these 584 admitted to Britain, but this has been rejected by the Home Office as they do not meet the strict criteria for family reunions.

I would urge you to give our support to reuniting these 584 refugees with their families in Britain. I would also urge you to press for the 'closed camp' policy to be altered as it is inhumane, and out of line with current international practice regarding the treatment of refugees in places of temporary asylum.

I enclose a copy of 'Behind Barbed Wire' which describes in detail the situation of the refugees in Hong Kong camps.

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RECEIVED IN HUGISTRY

- 6 FEB 1985

DESK OFFICER

INDEX

MA

REGISTRY Action Taken

A Registered Charo 283660

Yours sincerely,

и

Penelope Dane

Project Leader, The Cedars.

A Member of the British Refugee Council.

A Company Registered in London No. 1593454 and Limited by Guarantee.