But there is a sense of gradual disappointment and despair . . . In Hong Kong, a self-reliant city of former refugees, there is little sympathy. Either you let them stay in the camp or you absorb them. It's not the solution we would like, it's not something we feel is fair to Hong Kong, but it's something we have to do. But that freedom hasn't done much to improve the toxic atmosphere behind the gates.
Police say they have been unable to cut off the steady supply of drugs, mainly heroin, to the camp.
They also find it difficult to prosecute disturbances inside the camp, as residents are often reluctant to press charges. On a recent muggy afternoon, Pillar Point was quiet save for the hum of music echoing through the barracks. The nearest store is 10 minutes away by car. I can't earn enough money to have a house on the outside. Screening, a practice that later became highly controversial, was instituted in 1988 by the Hong Kong government and involved interviewing thousands of arrivals in an attempt to discover who had a legitimate fear of persecution.