TNAG-1426-FCO40-1909-Vietnamese-refugees-in-Hong-Kong-general-1985 — Page 188

Cepred to Mr Woodhouse

NK.

Observations on Vietnamese Refugee Camps in Hong Kong

Dear Mr.

Luce,

R&R

243/5

Rard 2815 Mr Galsworthy

This

Ps/Me Love

SEAD

It is encouraging to see that Members of Parliament and others are

taking an interest in the plight of refugees in Hong Kong, especially those in closed camps.

Before we become over-emotional in this matter, we need to get the facts straight. This I shall attempt to do, without claiming infallibility.

I

The first refugees who arrived by boat from Vietnam several years ago were mostly ethnic Chinese, and there seems little doubt that many of them

were genuinely trying to escape persecution, though certainly not all. Some

were no doubt seeking a better economic life abroad, and wanting to join relatives in other countries. These refugees were placed in open camps which permitted them to work outside. Though their living conditions left much to

be desired, they were as well off as or even better off than many Hong Kong squatters. Most of these original refugees have already been resettled, though a few remain.

The controversial issue arose when thousands of boat people of Viet- namese (not Chinese) origin arrived in Hong Kong. It is most unlikely that

many of them were really refugees, but merely people seeking a better live-

lihood without going through the legal processes of immigration to other

countries. While one can sympathise with their desire to improve their

families' financial conditions, we have to remember that there are millions

of people in all under-developed countries who would have the same wish, and the developed countries cannot accommodate them all (though it would help if some of them stopped exploiting the under-developed countries!).

Unfortunately, the Hong Kong Government had not yet learned its lesson

from its catastrophic touch-base policy, which used to allow any Chinese from

the Mainland to register for residence, provided he/she was smart enough to dodge the police (or even beat them up) in the New Territories, or pay a bribe

to the snake gangs who brought them to the touch base. This touch-base policy

for Chinese was stopped about three years ago, but it still exists for the

Vietnamese, to the chagrin of some Chinese residents wishing to bring in their

families illegally. All a Vietnamese has to do is to reach Hong Kong waters,

and he is then brought into Hong Kong and kept here, albeit in a closed camp

where conditions are almost identical to those in criminal prisons.

理

Ju

28

F

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