Hong Kong’s Population Swelled By Refugees

Press, Volume XCI, Issue 27603, 9 March 1955, Page 10

Hong Kong’s Population Swelled By Refugees

(N.Z. Press Association—Copyright)

HONG KONG, March 7. About 670,000 Chinese political refugees crowding the British Crown Colony of Hong Kong should receive international aid.

This was the conclusion of a report published today which has been submitted to the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees. The report was drawn up by a survey mission headed by Dr. Edvard Hambro, a Norwegian, and the former Registrar of the International Court of Justice.

The report said: “It seems unreasonable to expect that this small colony should by itself be able to solve the enormous problems arising from the great influx of population in recent years.” The report considered it doubtful whether these refugees fell within the mandate of the United Nations High commissioner but maintained that they should not fail to receive international aid because of a legal technicality. “Should it be impractical to enlarge the mandate of the High Commissioner, or to create a special organisation in the same way as has been done to Arab refugees from Israel, an international appeal might perhaps be made for a relief fund,” the repprt suggested.

The mission decided it was highly improbable that the many refugees would wish to return to the mainland of China. But it might be possible to resettle up to 30,000 of them in Formosa and the adjacent islands, with the right kind of assistance. The report recommended that negotiations on this be opened with the Nationalist Chinese Government in Taipeh. It might be possible for the refugees to emigrate elsewhere but the report said the investigations so far showed very great reluctance to accept Chinese immigrants anywhere in the world. , / “The High Commissioner does not extend his protection to persons who can be protected by their own govern-

ment and most of the Chinese refugees owe allegiance to the government of the Republic of China and can be diplomatically protected by that government in States which recognise it as the Government of China.

“Even although the British Government, has recognised the People’s Government of China and has therefore rendered diplomatic protection in Hong Kong by the Government of Taipeh impossible, it might be argued that the High Commissioner cannot protect these refugees so long as the government in Taipeh is accepted as government of China by organs of the United Nations.

“The refugees would thus seem to be in a worse situation now than they would be even if they had no government at all to protect them.” It noted that the legal situation would change radically if Communist China should be seated in the United Government, or if Formosa should be accorded a different . international status in such a form as to create two independent and fully sovereign States.