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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-1970s.

Backed by a humanitarian policy of the colonial government[1], 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. Between 1975 and 1999, 143 700 Vietnamese refugees were resettled in other countries and more than 67 000 Vietnamese migrants were repatriated[2].

Vietnam War and refugee migration

1970s - from a trickle to a flood

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[3].

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"[4], this arrival marked the start of a wave of refugee migrations to Hong Kong[5]. 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[6]. 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[7].

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. Soon, the Thai government stopped accepting refugees. Singapore, Malaysia did not allow the refugees to land, thus effectively turning the refugees away[3]. 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[8]. Hong Kong was also known for its liberal policy of allowing landed refugees the right to work. It was the peak year of arrivals, when more than 68,700 people arrived in Hong Kong[2].

1980s - stemming the tide

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

To deter the influx of refugees, new arrivals from Vietnam were interned in "closed camps" from July 1982 as possibilities for resettlement to third countries dwindled[9]. These camps were criticised for keeping freedom-seeking people "behind barbed wire"[10].

The United States started imposing stricter entry requirements on refugees in 1982 in a bid to slow the numbers accepted[11]. The war atrocities were long since over, together with the world-wide recession, came the realisation that the refugees were predominantly economic[12]. Most refugees from Vietnam from about 1984 were part of the "orderly departure scheme" sanctioned by the Vietnamese government[13].

By 1987, many other Western countries had lowering their quotas for Vietnamese refugees whilst the influx into Hong Kong continued to increase, peaking at some 300 a day in 1989[14], 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.

1990s - orderly repatriations

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[15].

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.

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 settled in a civilian refugee camp in Chatham Road pending their resettlement. This camp was to be demolished in 1976[7].

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"[16]. On June 29 1979, some refugees cut the anchor chain, causing the 3,500-ton ship to drift into rocks near Lamma Island, and sink.

In June 1979, a camp was set up on a site adjacent to the Police station at Sham Shui Po (closed March 1981)[17], another was opened at Jubilee (closed November 1980)[17]; the Government opened the former Argyle Street Army camp to accommodate an estimated 20,000 refugees[18]; 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[19], temporary facilities were established at the Government Dockyard and Western Quarantine Anchorage[18].

The Chimawan Detention Centre would become the first closed camp after the Government passed the Immigration (Amendment) Bill 1982[9], set up on July 2. Plans for a second camp, at Hei Long Chau, were initiated at the end of July, shortly after the arrival of 1,523 refugees in the month[20]. Another closed camp was set up in Cape Collinson[10]

The Whitehead camp was set up in Shatin to accommodate 28,000. Later, from June 1989, the runway of the former military airfield at Sek Kong was turned into a holding facility to house an estimated 7,000 refugees, amidst protests from local residents[14]. Prior to the 1997 handover, the facility reverted to as an airfield and is now used by the PLA Air Force.

Financial cost

The Security Branch revealed that, as at January 1983, the total cash outlay due to feeding and accommodating refugees had amounted to HKD270 million, of which 110 was born by Hong Kong, HKD120 million by the UNHCR, and the remainder by international agencies[21].

The United Nations owed Hong Kong HK$1.61 billion for its handling of Vietnamese boat people[22], still outstanding as at 2006.

References

  1. ^ Cheung, Donald (May 27, 1981). "Humane refugee policy will continue says official" (PDF). South China Morning Post. p. 1.
  2. ^ a b The influx of Vietnamese boat people Immigration Department, Hong Kong Government, Accessed 2 May, 2007
  3. ^ a b Chang, Harold (June 25, 1977). "5,000 on way to HK in Vietnamese armada" (PDF). South China Morning Post. p. 1.
  4. ^ "Govt now calls them illegal immigrants" (PDF). Hong Kong Standard. May 23, 1975.
  5. ^ "Drive to place 3,750 goes on" (PDF). South China Morning Post. May 7, 1975. p. 1.
  6. ^ Polin, Tom (May 26, 1976). "Governor calls on UNHCR to do more" (PDF). South China Morning Post. p. 1.
  7. ^ a b Choi, Barry (June 25, 1979). "War's over at last for last 31" (PDF). South China Morning Post. p. 1.
  8. ^ Chang, Harold (June 26, 1977). "Vietnam escape trail paved with gold" (PDF). South China Morning Post. p. 1.
  9. ^ a b Cheung, Donald (June 16, 1982). "Exco 'Yes' to closed camps" (PDF). South China Morning Post.
  10. ^ a b Chugani, Michael (December 7, 1984). "Council raps refugee policy" (PDF). South China Morning Post.
  11. ^ Cheung, Donald (Feb 10, 1982). "Boat people intake slashed" (PDF). South China Morning Post.
  12. ^ "A 'Catch-22' situation over refugees" (PDF). Hong Kong Standard. June 10, 1983.
  13. ^ "Friendless shore" (PDF). The Economist. January 28, 1984.
  14. ^ a b Tam, Bonnie (June 18, 1989). "Local march to show anger at Viet policy" (PDF). South China Morning Post.
  15. ^ McKenzie, Scott (September 24, 1989). "Return trip to reality" (PDF). South China Morning Post.
  16. ^ "2600 call off hunger strike" (PDF). Hong Kong Standard. June 25, 1979.
  17. ^ a b Cheung, Donald (Feb 12, 1981). "Refugee camps continue to close" (PDF). South China Morning Post.
  18. ^ a b Wong, Eileen (May 31, 1979). "$125,000 a day for us to feed refugees" (PDF). South China Morning Post.
  19. ^ "500 move to Tuen Mun" (PDF). South China Morning Post. June 5, 1979.
  20. ^ "Rush job on closed camp" (PDF). South China Morning Post. July 29, 1982.
  21. ^ Wong, David (Feb 3, 1983). "Cost of housing Viet refugees expected to soar" (PDF). Hong Kong Standard.
  22. ^ Cheung, Carmen (August 25, 1998). "HK chasing $1.6b debt from UN". Hong Kong Standard.
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