User:Vnboatpeoplehk/sandbox/Hong Kong 1975-1997 The Forgotten Chapter

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HONG KONG 1975–1997 The Forgotten Chapter Forewords These collections are dedicated to the many devoted Hong Kong civil servants, NGOs and UNHCR colleagues who have contributed toward solving the Vietnamese boat people crisis and for their efforts to seek durable solutions to more than 200,000 Indo-Chinese refugees in Hong Kong.

Clement LEE [email protected]

UNHCR first set up an office in Hong Kong in 1952 to address the needs of the White Russians and Chinese arriving from China. A new Office of the Charge de Mission was re-established in 1978 to cope with the influx of Vietnamese refugees in Hong Kong started in 1979. The title of the office was changed in 1989 to Office of the Chief of Mission (OCM).

The Nobel Peace Prize 1981 1981 Award Ceremony Speech (Extract) They are people from countries situated far away, countries of which we know very little. If we wanted to, we could so easily close the portals of our senses and the road to our hearts. One particular group of refugees on which the attention of the world was focused some years ago, as a result of newspaper reportage, pictures, and TV programmes, comprises the so-called Boat People' escaping across the sea in the waters off South-East Asia.

The Vietnamese Boat People in Hong Kong through the Eyes of the Press 1975 -- 1978: Orderly intake-Reunification of families in HK 1. Fall of Saigon – April 29, 1975 Goodbye Joe 2. Fall of Saigon – April 29, 1975 Regional Affairs

1979 -- June 1982: Open Camp Policy 3. ‘Witnesses’ write of Vietnam horror 4. Target for UN refugees conference (1) 5. Target for UN refugees conference (2) 6. Witness talks of Huey Fong ‘test’ 7. 16 countries give nod to UN refugee conference

July 1982 -- June 15, 1988: Closed Centre Policy 8. US radio to alert Viets to closed camps policy 9. Viet refugees prefer confinement to return 10. HK starts ‘lock up refugees’ policy 11. Boat people: hardline policy to continue 12. Family anguish for boat people 13. Refugee separation policy to continue (1) 14. Refugee separation policy to continue (2) 15. We may absorb 5,000 refugees 16. HK resettlement for refugees ruled out 17. Vietnamese refugees fled to freedom 18. Charity slates closed camp policy 19. Compassion runs out for Vietnam refugees 20. Shut the door on Viet refugees, poll finds 21. Mystery of missing 2,000 Vietnamese refugees

June 16, 1988 -- 1997: Screening Policy 22. The last boat to freedom 23. Photos – life in camps 24. Closed camp policy has failed says UN envoy 25. Nightmare deaths for 60 feared 26. More camps to meet refugee problem 27. Blank 28. Listing some of the report’s recommendations..(1) 29. Listing some of the report’s recommendations..(2) 30. Boat people may be denied asylum in policy switch 31. Hanoi ‘must help curb boat people’ 32. UN critical of screening move 33. UN fears new curb on boat people will sink Vietnam deal 34. A question of refuge 35. Hong Kong to bar economic refugees 36. Hong Kong threat to boat people 37. HK shuts doors to boat people 38. Hong Kong Hardening Rules on Boat People 39. Local opinion divided over vetting plan 40. Dispute on who pays for migrants 41. Warning on funding for boat people 42. UN critical of screening 43. UNHCR guidelines must be applied to boat people 44. Refugees thought they were about to be shot 45. Boat people agreement signed 46. Omelco surprise at management plan 47. Row brews on UNHCR commitment 48. UNHCR to clarify future of refugees 49. UNHCR drops duty lawyers 50. Boat people on the move to Sha Tin 51. Plan to liberalise camps ‘may spark racial conflict’ 52. Nations draft global solution on refugees 53. UN takes responsibility 54. Refugee camps continue to close 55. Forced repatriation rejected 56. UN rejects first results of screening 57. Governor to attend UN conference on refugee problem

March 1989 – 1997: Voluntary Repatriation Programme 58. HK screening: the last straw 59. 37 nations gather to find refugee solution 60. Returning Viets fear punishment 61. We expected paradise but were treated like pigs 62. Why the refugee issue stirs up emotions 63. Hotel scheme for returnees 64. UNHCR unhappy with ‘harsh application’ of screening 65. Forced repatriation may make agenda 66. Send Viets back, says Beijing 67. Fund to be launched as Viet cash runs out 68. Information strategy to deter Viets 69. Legislator against dropping asylum policy 70. Legco warns of drastic steps in refugee issue 71. Legco warning over Viets 72. Emotion and realism 73. Drama erupts as members tackle Vietnamese crisis 74. UNHCR ‘partly to blame’ for influx of boat people (1) 75. UNHCR ‘partly to blame’ for influx of boat people (2) 76. Moves to speed up screening of Viets 77. Government may ‘abandon first asylum’ 78. Ending first asylum ‘may hot help HK’ 79. More care urged in forced repatriation 80. Tear-gas fired in Soko riot 81. UNHCR staff receive death threats 82. UNHCR considers open camp for Tai A Chau 83. Britain to go ahead despite US objections 84. Deal struck for repatriation of Viets 85. Hurd schemes a smooth path to repatriation 86. Government backdown on screening 87. UNHCR firm on return of boat children 88. UNHCR official backs screening procedures 89. Ruling upholds right to a fair hearing 90. The final dilemma 91. US ‘blocking’ deal on Viets 92. Obstacles to Viet accord ‘overcome’ 93. At last they are going to go home 94. ‘HongKong is no longer a stepping stone to the West’ 95. ‘Row’ over removal of Vietnamese (1) 96. ‘Row’ over removal of Vietnamese (2) 97. Tide finally turns over boat people 98. Vietnam protests at Whitehead violence 99. Secret plan to free 5,000 Viets 100. McCosh defends teargas in Viet raid 101. Top UN official for Viet problem 102. Appeal Court overturns freedom for Vietnamese 103. Hanoi blamed as Viets resist from rooftops 104. Violence at Vietnamese camp 105. UN ready to pull out on boat people 106. UN to maintain refugee office in HK after 1997 107. Urgent plea for stranded Viet refugees 108. Drama timed for talks in Geneva 109. 100 on run after mass breakout 110. The price of a riot

June 30, 1996 End of CPA 111. Camp hostage-taker jailed 112. Go quietly as closure of Tai A Chau 113. 42 arrested as Vietnam IIs reach highest in five years 114. Whitehead closure must mark end of an era 115. Hanoi in surprise boat people offer 116. Plea to London on $1.03b Viet debt 117. Visit to help speed clearance of camps

UNHCR’s Most Recent Response to Refugees In the Territory

1. Flight from Indochina 2. Final act: closing down the CPA (Regional solutions) 3. Leaving Hong Kong (Focus: 1996 in review) 4. Hong Kong: HC applauds protection decision 5. 2002 UNHCR Statistical Yearbook – HONG KONG SAR,CHINA 6. Viet Nam: End of an era 7. Assistance to refugees – Activities in 1979 8. Information as Protection 9. Special Report: Comprehensive Plan of Action (The Indo-Chinese exodus and the CPA) 10. Durable Solutions 10a. Resettlement as an Instrument of Protection 10b. Resettlement in the 1990s: A Review of Policy and Practice 10c. Rescue at sea: No. 23(XXXII) – 1981 10d. Rescue at sea: EC/SCP/42 – 1985 11. General Assembly 49th session: Assistance to unaccompanied refugee minors-1995 12. UNHCR guidelines on reunification of refugee families (July 1983) HC’s Statement pertaining to VN Boat People in HK 1. At the Meeting on Refugees and Displaced Persons in South-East Asia, 21 July 1979 2. At the International Conference on Indo-Chinese Refugees, Geneva, 13 June 1989 3. To the International Conference on the Comprehensive Plan of Action (CPA) for Indochinese Refugees, Geneva, 15 March 1990 4. At the Fifth Meeting of the Steering Committee of the International Conference on Indochinese Refugees, Geneva, 14 February 1994 5. At the Sixth Meeting of the Steering Committee of the International Conference on Indo-Chinese Refugees, Geneva, 16 March 1995 General Assembly 1. 45th session: Report for 1993–1994 Section 4 - China 2. 45th session: Report for 1993–1994 Section 5 - Hong Kong 3. 46th session: Report for 1994–1995 Section 4 - Hong Kong 4. 46th session: Report for 1994–1995 Section 4 - Hong Kong

Hong Kong 1975–1997 A spirit of International solidarity & burden-sharing 1975 Temporary asylum to 3,900 Vietnamese refugees of the Truong Xuam vessel 1976 The last refugee camp was closed on May 20 1977 The re-unification of families in Hong Kong 1978 Orderly arrivals v. Huey Fong 1979 The Boat Refugees from Vietnam -- Sky Luck, Ha Long & small boats 1980 Arrivals during May to August 1981 16,207 refugees stood at the end of the year 1982 July 2 -- Closed Centres for Vietnamese Refugees 1983 Vietnamese refugee problem – a continued heavy burden upon Hong Kong 1984 Factional unrest in Closed Centres 1985 Some improvement in the refugee situation in 1985; but still heavy financial burden 1986 A full range of social, educational and recreational services & skills training 1987 Ex-China Vietnamese illegal immigrants (ECVIIs) 1988 During 1988, arrivals of 18,325. June 16 – Screening policy. 1989 The objective of screening policy is to identify genuine refugees 1990 Voluntary Repatriation Programme (VolRep) 1991 Vietnamese Illegal Immigrants & heavy community pressure for an end to the policy of first asylum 1992 Reintegration assistance programme. Refugee Status Review Board (RSRB) February Shek Kong Detention Centre 1993 To finance small-scale infrastructure projects 1994 On August 23, agreement with China to repatriate all the ECVIIs stranded in local camps 1995 The pace of the orderly return programme 1996 Resistance to orderly repatriation operations. Whitehead May 10, 1996. $1.145 billion. 1997 May 23, final deadline for joining Volrep

Statistical Summary

Total population: 200,000 more people from Vietnam Hong Kong: Absorbed some 16,000 97 Vietnamese refugees & 116 VN migrants remained in HKSAR Resettlement: 143,000 Repatriation: 67,000 Local resettlement: 1,300 ECVIIs repatriation: 23,700