TNAG-1786-FCO40-2546-Hong-Kong-Vietnamese-refugees-closed-camp-policy-1988 — Page 206

OXFAM

樂施會 •

The gap between the refugees and CSD is widened by differences of culture and language, and the whole issue is further complicated by the pressures felt by thousands of people who find themselves having to live in prisons indefinitely.

The welfare agencies help in bringing the two sides together, and one interesting development of the past year has been the arrival of a team of Vietnamese social workers. These are people who were themselves refugees, who have made new lives overseas, but who have now agreed to return to Hong Kong to help their countrymen. The scheme is still at the pilot stage. The work load on each worker seems impossibly heavy and there may need to be a clearer understanding between the workers and the other agencies as to who does what. But clearly these Vietnamese workers can play a useful role as bridge builders, and we would hope to see their scheme develop further.

Each camp has a network of hut representatives, who are supposed to be elected by the refugees and who meet regularly with senior CSD staff. varies from camp to camp.

The value of the system

At Hei Ling Chau, for example, it seems to work well and World Relief feels that the refugees are given a fair hearing. At Chi Ma Wan, the CSD Superintendent told us that everything was fine, but International Social Service has apparently refused to attend the meetings, saying they do not and cannot increase understanding. One hut representative we spoke to did not even know the Superintendent's name and did not think much of the meetings.

We cannot help wondering again why CSD is given the task of running the closed centres. It is a department that specialises in controlling and 'correcting' people, which is not what the refugees need. Staff attitudes have relaxed over the years, but CSD's philosophy remains wholly inappropriate the containing of a problem. What is needed is a much more creative approach to centre management, because from this can grow the atmosphere in which educational and vocational training programmes can really flourish.

We would urge the government to open discussions with welfare agencies on the possibility of transferring overall management of the closed centres to the agencies.

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