A New Prospective: The Boat People

"You feed us, kept order, didn't demand or accept bribes and most importantly, Hong Kong didn't push us back out to sea. And for that, we are profoundly grateful"

I approached an evening talk on the Vietnamese Boat People with some trepidation. Dr Carina Hoang and former Marine Police Superintendent Les Bird spoke on "Revisiting Hong Kong's Vietnamese Refugee History." Dr Hoang has compiled an oral history of the boat people, while in his books, Les Bird has documented the Marine Police's role. 

My colleagues in the Marine Police rescued many boat people, earning their lasting gratitude. Mr Bird reconnected with several of the individuals he helped rescue and spoke about the new lives they’ve built overseas. I was in a different situation.

As a member of the Police Tactical Unit, my duties included fighting riots, conducting weapons searches, and organising extractions for deportation or repatriation flights. I had long believed that none of this essential work made us popular with the boat people. 

The fact that innocent kids were caught up in the riots and weapon searches left its mark on all of us. Anyone who witnessed the tragic events at Sek Kong camp during the 1991 riots that resulted in 24 refugees dying understands the challenges faced by police officers and Correctional Service Department staff trying to maintain order. 

My first encounter with the boat people was suppressing a riot at Kai Tak North Camp in 1982, as a young platoon commander. I have detailed this event in an earlier piece.

Little did I know this would be the first of many operations that would occupy me for decades. For the record, I was deployed to Tai Ah Chau Island, Sham Shui Po Camp, Erskine Camp, High Island Camp, Whitehead Camp, and Sek Kong. As the boat people saga fluctuated through its various stages, the police, along with the CSD, were constantly involved. 

My experience is typical, as most operational police officers have been involved in similar roles. Perhaps less typical was sending a team of women officers to Sham Shui Po to buy several hundred pairs of ladies' underwear for refugees who had nothing. 

I had taken command of Erskine Camp for a short period; it housed families. The refugees lacked many essentials, but the ladies soon had the kitchens operational, while the men worked to make the sparse accommodation as comfortable as possible. 

As the evening talk progressed, I realised that former boat people formed a significant part of the audience; many had settled in Hong Kong. They took turns sharing remarkable stories. To my surprise, the lady sitting next to me was born in Kai Tak North Camp in 1981 and was present during the riot I dealt with. Naturally, she had no memory of the events. 

When I said I had been in the camp, she hugged me and sincerely thanked the police for their efforts. This unexpected reaction took me aback, as I was expecting a rebuke for the tear gas we had used in several operations and the hand-to-hand fighting that caused injuries on both sides. 

I met several CSD officers who had remained close to the Vietnamese they looked after. Through them, I was introduced to older Vietnamese individuals who stepped forward to shake my hand and also thank me. I had to ask, "I was expecting some kickback."

The response I received can be best summed up as, "You feed us, kept order, didn't demand or accept bribes and most importantly, Hong Kong didn't push us back out to sea. And for that, we are profoundly grateful" I left the event with a lump in my throat and a new perspective. 

Dr Carina Hoang, herself a boat person who fled in a small boat at 16 and made her way to Indonesia, repeatedly expressed her gratitude to Hong Kong. She recognises that the challenge of managing hundreds of new arrivals daily — feeding and housing them — places a significant burden on our society, a burden that we should all acknowledge.

Furthermore, at the same time, Hong Kong returned illegal immigrants to China daily, including the relatives of Hong Kong citizens. This difference in treatment became a sore point with the local community. Additionally, the fact that the UN promised to cover Hong Kong's costs for housing the Vietnamese boat people but never did remains an issue.

Various estimates suggest the cost to Hong Kong ranges from HK$1.16 billion to HK$8.71 billion. While the UN made a few token payments, these stopped, and in 2003, the UN requested that Hong Kong waive the debt. According to an audit report dated 12 September 2025, the Hong Kong government continues to pursue an amount of HK$1.16 billion.

On a more positive note, Dr Hoang and Mr Bird collaborated with artist Eric Okdehto to create a mural depicting the history of displaced people's movements through Hong Kong. The mural is accessible to the public at F Hall, Tai Kwun.