From Both Sides of the Fence: Vietnamese Boat People in Hong Kong 1975 – 2000

Abstract

After the Vietnam War ended in April 1975, Hong Kong was confronted with the Vietnamese Crisis which lasted 25 years. It involved the arrivals by boat of 213,000 Vietnamese refugees, riots in the detention centres and complex repatriation schemes. Using grounded theory, interviews and a creative website, the thesis documents and provides a historical account of what took place in Hong Kong from the perspective of the refugees and those who handled the crisis.