TNAG-1531-FCO40-2095-Hong-Kong-Vietnamese-refugees-general-1987 — Page 9

FCO40 Hong Kong Department Records 聯邦事務部香港部檔案 All

1 always to insist and to repeat to authority that despite what they

feel initially they give a much better chance to people to live and to benefit one of these three solutions I have mentioned if they can this refugee can do a little bit of work and be to some degree self- supporting.

3

4

5

6

7

8

9

10

11

12

13

14

15

16

17

18

19

20

21

22

23

24

25

26

27

28

29

30

31

32

33

34

35

36

QUESTION:

Sorry, I didn't mention my name before.

Lindy Shaw from RTHK. You talked about it being important the refugees should not lose their dignity. Do you see that this is happening in the camps in Hong Kong, the closed camps in Hong Kong?

MR HOCKE:

As a matter of policy adopted by the authority in Hong Kong, certainly not. Yet, as I said, all this has definitely to be viewed against the length of time someone has to stay be it in a closed camp, be it in an open camp, and to be viewed precisely against the possibility to be trained to work, to earn little bit of money which, from what I have seen this morning and what But the danger is always I am told, happens in quite a few instances.

a

here and this is the reason why we have not only to have dialogue but to be very frank and straight forward in pointing towards difficulty. I confirmed UNHCR position before when it comes to the closed camp policy.

One can also view it from another angle which is to say that if people have to stay for years in a closed camp precisely they become the kind of, or they are in danger of becoming the kind of total destitute which will find it or make it difficult for these people easily to reintegrate in normal environment, be it through local integration or be it through resettlement and here it is up to each authority and government precisely to find out the point beyond which any policy, be it closed camp or open camp, would lead into additional difficulty and not increasing the chances for these people to find a proper solution.

QUESTION:

A second point. I think some refugees

in Hong Kong, well more than half of them here more than three years and a smaller per cent more than six years, so have we reached this danger point now or has the danger point passed and they are destitute?

VERBATIM REPORTERS

HONG KONG

Comments

Approved members can add comments, bookmarks, and private notes.

No comments yet.

Private Research Note

Private notes are available after approval.