CONFIDENTIAL
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THAT THERE IS NO PROSPECT OF THE HONG KONG GOVERNMENT ABANDONING THEM WHILE BOAT PEOPLE CONTINUE TO ARRIVE. UNHCR, ALTHOUGH THEY HELP FINANCE THE CENTRES, HAVE STATED PUBLICLY THAT THEY CONSIDER THE DETENTION OF REFUGEES 'UNDER PRISON-LIKE CONDITIONS FOR PROLONGED PERIODS OF TIME, IN ACCORDANCE WITH A POLICY OF SO-CALLED HUMANE DETERRENCE' TO BE 'AT VARIANCE WITH THE PRINCIPLES OF INTERNATIONAL PROTECTION'.
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8.
THE CLOSED CAMP POLICY IS THE ONLY MEASURE THAT THE HONG KONG GOVERNMENT HAVE SO FAR TAKEN TO TRY TO DETER VIETNAMESE FROM TRAVELLING TO HONG KONG. ALTHOUGH IT BY NO MEANS PROVIDES. A COMPLETE ANSWER TO THE PROBLEM (REFUGEES CONTINUE TO ARRIVE), AND HAS ITSELF CREATED NEW PROBLEMS, THE HONG KONG GOVERNMENT CONSIDER THAT THE ADVANTAGES OF THE POLICY DECISIVELY OUTWEIGH THE DISADVANTAGES AND THAT THIS POLICY OF DETERRENCE MUST
CONTINUE.
IV BEGIN UNDERLINING PROBLEMS OVER RESETTLEMENT END UNDERLINING 9. OF THE 58,543 VIETNAMESE WHO ARRIVED IN HONG KONG IN THE
THEY WERE FIRST HALF OF 1979, 84 PERCENT WERE ETHNIC CHINESE. CONSIDERED BY RESETTLEMENT COUNTRIES TO FALL UNDER THE ACCEPTED DEFINITION OF 'REFUGEES' THROUGH THEIR PERSECUTION FOR REASONS OF RACE. AFTER 1979 HOWEVER THE PROPORTION OF ETHNIC CHINESE
INITIALLY MOST OF` ARRIVING IN HONG KONG DROPPED TO 2-3 PERCENT. THE ETHNIC VIETNAMESE ARRIVING IN HONG KONG WERE FROM SOUTH VIETNAM: THEY WERE READILY ACCEPTED BY WESTERN COUNTRIES AS
BETWEEN 1980 AND REFUGEES, ON GROUNDS OF POLITICAL PERSECUTION.
1983 HOWEVER THE PROPORTION OF NORTHERNERS STEADILY INCREASED (ALTHOUGH IN 1984 THE PROPORTION SLIGHTLY DECLINED). RESETTLEMENT COUNTRIES ARE RELUCTANT TO ACCEPT THAT NORTHERNERS
UNLIKE ARE TRUE REFUGEES FLEEING FROM POLITICAL OPPRESSION WHEN, THOSE FROM THE SOUTH, THEY HAVE LIVED UNDER COMMUNIST RULE FOR 30
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CONFIDENTIAL
THIS IS A COPY
THE ORIGINAL HAS BEEN
CLOSED UNDER
FOI EXEMPTION NO. o
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