Vietnamese boat people | Hong Kong | Refugees | Repatriation | This Week | 1988

A slightly shortened version of the original report.
Ten years after the plight of the Vietnamese ‘boat people’ first excited world-wide compassion, Britain has adopted a controversial new policy of sending them back to their homeland
As the colonial authority over Hong Kong, Foreign Secretary Sir Geoffrey Howe bowed to local pressure over a major refugee build-up this year and declared that “boat people” will not in future be automatically entitled to refugee status. Thousands of Vietnamese now face an enforced return as “illegal immigrants
Reporting from both Hong Kong and Vietnam, Peter Gill examines how “compassion fatigue” in the West and Vietnam’s emergence from 15 years of political isolation are combining to thwart the aspirations of the “boat people” for a better life in the west.
First shown: 15/12/1988
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[@herowillrose3198]

Side note, my grandparents served during the French occupation and my parents served and protected soutth vietnam after the French left, then American took over. The peoples worked for us, they are vietcong we didn’t know until they moved to our house with vietcong uniforms for arrested all of us, after the fall of Saigon in 1975. We only allowed one set cloth on us. Nothing could carry with us. They sent us to the reeducation/concentration camps, we were separated, entire family divided. Until 1982 somevof us were released and sent to country side to restart our lives with restrictions to leave anywhere, we were completely prohibited any contact or socialize with other peoples while under strict monitoring how we adjusted with communist systems. But we did managed five different escapes. The last escaped just father and I. Mom and siblings got busted. Considered lucky for my mom and siblings. Our tiny boat with 56 peoples. There were young girls. 1- 14 years old, 1-18 years old, 1-21 & 1-22 years old, 1-29 years old, 3- over 30 years old, all got raped by thailand pirates. Only two older women arrived refugees camp, but they got rapped also, the rest were history. Never know what happened to them, included my second cousin. She gone for ever. Thailand pirates also murdered men on our boat, 9 days and 8 nights at open sea, they took our water, snacks, engine, and fuels, left us floating mercyless. We were doing very well before communist from the north invaded us and destroyed our wealth, our health, our education and democracy.

[@ivannguyen2615]

This video has reminded me of the boat people who risked themselves through the big sea to arrive in HK for better life but, confined in detention centers and forced to repatriate after screening failure. I was the witness as UNHCR Volunteer during the years of early 80s til 90s. Great thanks to Sister My Hanh who has had contributed and supported many households of getting resettlement to the 3rd countries. Thanks again for the world humanitarian organizations.

[@grvc44]

they should have go to the philippines if they want to have a chance to go to United States.