Vietnamese refugee returns to Hong Kong detention camp island where she spent childhood

Entrepreneur Katie Aung has returned to Tai A Chau, a remote island south of Lantau, where she was detained as a Vietnamese refugee in the 1990s. Walking with former marine police officer Les Bird, who oversaw refugee search-and-rescue operations, Aung pointed to the exact spot where her bed once stood. “This is where I lived,” she said. Today, the island is largely reclaimed by nature, but concrete foundations and a fish pond built by refugees remain. Aung’s visit brings to light a chapter of Hong Kong’s history that is often overlooked: the detention of tens of thousands of Vietnamese refugees. The island’s silent remnants echo the lost childhoods of many.

Article source: scmp.com | Image credit: South China Morning Post