refugees were seemed to be
proper tools and electric drills. Some of the making cabinets in this workshop and making a very good job of it. The staff there, from the Salvation Army told me that these cabinets would be for use in the camp only. Next to this workshop was the confinement area where refugees are put if they have seriously infringed the rules of the camps. At the time I was there two people were being held. The solitary confinement units are little huts with locked bar gates across the front of them. One of the refugees was in solitary confinement for 41 days for destruction of camp property and causing refugee. The other was in for 21 days for behaviour towards another refugee. One of released the day I was there.
injury to another using threatening them was due to be
In addition to this I saw a playgroup for toddlers in action. The materials for this seemed to be more plentiful than for the school I had seen in the lower camp and the children were doing things which seemed to me to be constructive in terms of the learning process. Several mothers were assisting with this project. I also visited the Welfare Office in the upper camp which looked to be very efficient. One aspect which I felt was encouraging about the whole camp was the fact that refugees, although
no way in charge of their own destiny, were able to assist in the running of the camp in a far more liberal way than had been permitted several years ago.
In 1985 Refugee Action reported that movement was not possible between the Lower and Upper Camps, even for refugees who acting as teachers. I was very pleased to note that this has now been changed. In discussion with Belinda Tang I asked her how much notice the Security Department took of criticisms from people who had visited the camps. She replied that it was.' difficult in some cases to talk with people objectively as they had closed their minds to anything the Hong Kong Government Office said and so some of the criticism was unfair or unjustified. Her response to my question, however, was that they considered reports which came in and if the recommendations set out in them were not controversial they would be given fair hearing by the relevant person. To this end the barring of refugee movement between the two camps has now been lifted and the barbed wire has been removed from the top of the fences at all camps. I sensed an easing of the very tight control about which I had read in reports prior to my visit. (See HKG Section)
We left Chi Ma Wan by Government Launch and proceeded to Hei Ling Chau Island which is about 15 minutes from Chi Ma Wan.
3) HEI LING CHAU CLOSED CENTRE
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Hei Ling Chau Island was originally a leper colony and is now effectively a prison island. It holds a prison for young offenders, a drug-rehabilitation centre and the closed camp. Special permission must be sought before entry will be permitted to the island and then special permission must be sought for entry to the Closed Centre. I visited the camp twice the first time with Belinda Tang of HKGO and the second time as a guest of World Relief the operating agency
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