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Vietnamese people in Hong Kong

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Many of the Vietnamese people in Hong Kong as a result of flight from the war and persecution in Vietnam since the mid-1970's.

Backed by a humanitarian policy of the colonial government, and under the auspices of the United Nations, a community of Vietnamese, mainly ethnic Chinese, were permitted to settle in Hong Kong.

The illegal entry of Vietnamese refugees was a problem which plagued the Hong Kong government for 25 years. The problem was only resolved in 2000.

Vietnam War and refugee migration

After the Vietnam War ended in 1975, the victorious Vietcong forces reunited the northern and southern halves of the country, many people began to flee out of fear of the new Communist Government. Many refugees fled across the border into Thailand, whilst others headed by boat to nearby countries, initially Singapore, Malaysia, Indonesia, Hong Kong[1].

Hong Kong received its first wave of Vietnamese refugees on 4 May, 1975. A 3,743-strong refugee group was found hiding on board the Danish freighter Clara Mǣrsk and were accepted as refugees. Although the Hong Kong Government declared them "illegal immigrants"[2], this arrival marked the start of a wave of refugee migrations to Hong Kong[3]. Initially, Western governments shirked responsibility for resetling any refugees. In 1976, the Hong Kong Government applied to the United Nations High Commission for Refugees (UNHCR) for material aid and faster processing of resettlement requests[4]. One year later, this first group of refugees, who had been under the responsibility of the Civil Aid Services, were entirely resettled in the United States, France, Germany, Australia, and Hong Kong[5]. As at 2006, the United Nations still owes Hong Kong HK$1.61 billion[6] for its handling of Vietnamese boat people.

In 1979, the Vietcong started ethnic cleansing in major cities in Vietnam, causing many Vietnamese to seek refugee status in Hong Kong. Hong Kong declared itself a First Port of Refuge. More than 68,700 people arrived in Hong Kong in 1979 alone[citation needed]. Soon, the Thai government stopped accepting refugees. Singapore, Malaysia did not allow the refugees to land, thus effectively turning the refugees away[1]. Hong Kong, with the status of "safe haven", soon became the leading destination. The BBC World Service spurred the choice by making known Hong Kong's 3-month grace period in which to make resettlement applications to third countries[7].

The tide of refugees continued to flow, and in 1980, more than 100,000 Vietnamese sought refugee rights in Hong Kong[citation needed]. At this time, these migrants usually succeeded in gaining refugee status, and were eventually accepted by Western countries.

By 1987, Western countries were lowering their quotas for Vietnamese refugees whilst the influx into Hong Kong continued to increase, peaking at some 300 a day in 1989[8], fed by rumours that Vietnamese migrants could gain amnesty simply by landing on Hong Kong soil. The government adopted a Comprehensive Plan of Action on 16 June, 1988, separating political refugees (classified as refugees) from economic refugees (classified as "boat people"). Economic refugees were considered illegal immigrants; they were denied the right to be transferred to a third country and were all sent back to Vietnam.

The Comprehensive Plan of Action was carried out by 1994. During the late 1980s and 1990s, the Hong Kong government began to broadcast a Vietnamese radio announcement in an attempt to deter Vietnamese migrants from making way to Hong Kong. This came to be known as the Bắt đầu từ nay broadcast.

In the early 1990s, the Hong Kong government began an orderly repatriation programme. It began as a voluntary programme, but it was poorly received by the Vietnamese migrants, despite an agreement with the Vietnamese government that barred retributions against the migrants upon their return. Eventually, the Hong Kong government decided to forcibly repatriate the Vietnamese boat people[9].

As the situation in Vietnam improved, and the flow of boat people was stemmed, Hong Kong's status as a First Port of Refuge was revoked on 9 January, 1998. However, until 2000, Hong Kong still issued identity cards to the boat people in Hong Kong in an effort to allow them to assimilate into the society.

Facilities

The first batch of 3,743 refugees in 1975 had been interned in a civilian refugee camp in Chatham Road pending their resettlement. This camp was to be demolished in 1976[5].

Some 2,600 refugees aboard the vessel Skyluck which arrived on February 7, 1979 were refused the right to land due to a shortage of facilities, and were kept on board the vessel for over 4 months. The conditions were regarded as being superior to some terrestrial "transit camps"[10].

In June 1979, camps were set up in Shamshuipo and Jubilee; the Government opened the former Argyle Street Army camp to accommodate an estimated 20,000 refugees[11]; the Kai Tak East camp was set up to house an estimated 10,000; a 23-storey factory building in Tuen Mun to house an additional 16,000 was set up[12], temporary facilities were established at the Government Dockyard and Western Quarantine Anchorage[11].

The Whitehead camp was set up in Shatin to accommodate 28,000. Later, from June 1989, the runway of the former military airfield at RAF Sek Kong was turned into a holding facility to house an estimated 7,000 refugees, amidst protests from local residents[8]. Prior to the 1997 handover, the facility reverted to as an airfield and is now used by the PLA Air Force.


References

  1. ^ a b Chang, Harold (June 25, 1977). "5,000 on way to HK in Vietnamese armada" (PDF). South China Morning Post. p. 1.
  2. ^ "Govt now calls them illegal immigrants" (PDF). Hong Kong Standard. May 23, 1975.
  3. ^ "Drive to place 3,750 goes on" (PDF). South China Morning Post. May 7, 1975. p. 1.
  4. ^ Polin, Tom (May 26, 1976). "Governor calls on UNHCR to do more" (PDF). South China Morning Post. p. 1.
  5. ^ a b Choi, Barry (June 25, 1979). "War's over at last for last 31" (PDF). South China Morning Post. p. 1.
  6. ^ Cheung, Carmen (August 25, 1998). "HK chasing $1.6b debt from UN". Hong Kong Standard.
  7. ^ Chang, Harold (June 26, 1977). "Vietnam escape trail paved with gold" (PDF). South China Morning Post. p. 1.
  8. ^ a b Tam, Bonnie (June 18, 1989). "Local march to show anger at Viet policy" (PDF). South China Morning Post. p. 1.
  9. ^ McKenzie, Scott (September 24, 1989). "Return trip to reality" (PDF). South China Morning Post.
  10. ^ "2600 call off hunger strike" (PDF). Hong Kong Standard. June 25, 1979.
  11. ^ a b Wong, Eileen (May 31, 1979). "$125,000 a day for us to feed refugees" (PDF). South China Morning Post.
  12. ^ "500 move to Tuen Mun" (PDF). South China Morning Post. June 5, 1979. p. 1.
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