2 6 HONG HONG NNP 7 11 KONG KONG NNP 11 12 , , , 13 16 Nov Nov NNP 17 19 21 21 CD 20 21 ( ( ( 21 24 AFP AFP NNP 24 25 ) ) ) 26 28 – -- : 29 32 The the DT 33 39 number number NN 40 42 of of IN 43 48 south south JJ 49 55 Asians Asian NNPS 56 63 seeking seek VBG 64 73 political political JJ 74 80 asylum asylum NN 81 83 in in IN 84 88 Hong Hong NNP 89 93 Kong Kong NNP 94 96 is be VBZ 97 99 on on IN 100 103 the the DT 104 108 rise rise NN 109 118 following follow VBG 119 122 the the DT 123 129 US-led us-led JJ 130 138 military military JJ 139 147 campaign campaign NN 148 150 in in IN 151 162 Afghanistan Afghanistan NNP 162 163 , , , 164 166 it it PRP 167 170 was be VBD 171 179 reported report VBN 180 189 Wednesday Wednesday NNP 189 190 . . . 197 201 Some some DT 202 205 200 200 CD 206 211 South South NNP 212 218 Asians Asian NNPS 218 219 , , , 220 224 most most JJS 225 233 claiming claim VBG 234 236 to to TO 237 239 be be VB 240 251 businessmen businessman NNS 251 252 , , , 253 256 had have VBD 257 263 sought seek VBN 264 273 political political JJ 274 280 asylum asylum NN 281 285 from from IN 286 289 the the DT 290 296 United United NNP 297 304 Nations Nation NNPS 305 309 High High NNP 310 322 Commissioner Commissioner NNP 323 326 for for IN 327 335 Refugees Refugees NNPS 336 338 in in IN 339 343 Hong Hong NNP 344 348 Kong Kong NNP 349 356 between between IN 357 363 August August NNP 364 367 and and CC 368 375 October October NNP 375 376 , , , 377 383 double double VBP 384 387 the the DT 388 393 total total JJ 394 400 number number NN 401 409 applying apply VBG 410 414 over over IN 415 418 the the DT 419 423 past past JJ 424 429 seven seven CD 430 435 years year NNS 435 436 , , , 437 440 the the DT 441 457 mass-circulating mass-circulating JJ 458 465 Chinese chinese JJ 466 471 paper paper NN 472 480 Oriental Oriental NNP 481 486 Daily Daily NNP 487 491 News News NNP 492 496 said say VBD 496 497 . . . 504 508 Most most JJS 509 511 of of IN 512 515 the the DT 516 525 claimants claimant NNS 526 530 were be VBD 531 535 from from IN 536 544 Pakistan Pakistan NNP 544 545 , , , 546 551 while while IN 552 555 the the DT 556 560 rest rest NN 561 565 were be VBD 566 570 from from IN 571 574 Sri Sri NNP 575 580 Lanka Lanka NNP 580 581 , , , 582 592 Bangladesh Bangladesh NNP 593 596 and and CC 597 606 Indonesia Indonesia NNP 606 607 . . . 608 612 They they PRP 613 620 entered enter VBD 621 625 Hong Hong NNP 626 630 Kong Kong NNP 631 638 through through IN 639 642 the the DT 643 647 Chek Chek NNP 648 651 Lap Lap NNP 652 655 Kok Kok NNP 656 669 international international JJ 670 677 airport airport NN 678 680 or or CC 681 685 from from IN 686 688 Lo Lo NNP 689 691 Wu Wu NNP 692 703 checkpoints checkpoint NNS 704 708 with with IN 709 712 the the DT 713 721 mainland mainland NN 721 722 . . . 729 730 A a DT 731 740 spokesman spokesman NN 741 744 for for IN 745 748 the the DT 749 757 security security NN 758 764 bureau bureau NN 765 769 said say VBD 770 774 Hong Hong NNP 775 779 Kong Kong NNP 780 785 would would MD 786 789 not not RB 790 795 grant grant VB 796 802 anyone anyone NN 803 812 political political JJ 813 819 asylum asylum NN 820 825 under under IN 826 833 present present JJ 834 842 policies policy NNS 842 843 . . . 850 853 The the DT 854 860 senior senior JJ 861 871 management management NN 872 874 of of IN 875 878 the the DT 879 883 Hong Hong NNP 884 888 Kong Kong NNP 889 899 government government NN 899 900 , , , 901 908 however however RB 908 909 , , , 910 913 was be VBD 914 921 shocked shock VBN 922 924 by by IN 925 928 the the DT 929 934 surge surge NN 935 938 and and CC 939 942 was be VBD 943 950 worried worry VBN 951 955 that that IN 956 960 some some DT 961 967 people people NNS 968 973 might might MD 974 977 use use VB 978 980 it it PRP 981 983 as as IN 984 985 a a DT 986 991 means means NN 992 994 to to TO 995 1001 remain remain VB 1002 1004 in in IN 1005 1009 Hong Hong NNP 1010 1014 Kong Kong NNP 1015 1027 indefinitely indefinitely RB 1027 1028 , , , 1029 1032 the the DT 1033 1039 report report NN 1040 1044 said say VBD 1044 1045 . . . 1052 1054 It it PRP 1055 1059 said say VBD 1060 1063 the the DT 1064 1075 immigration immigration NN 1076 1086 department department NN 1087 1090 had have VBD 1091 1098 already already RB 1099 1103 been be VBN 1104 1114 instructed instruct VBN 1115 1117 to to TO 1118 1122 step step VB 1123 1125 up up RP 1126 1129 its its PRP$ 1130 1136 checks check NNS 1137 1139 on on IN 1140 1150 suspicious suspicious JJ 1151 1161 travellers traveller NNS 1161 1162 . . . 1169 1172 The the DT 1173 1178 world world NN 1178 1180 ’s 's POS 1181 1188 refugee refugee NN 1189 1196 problem problem NN 1197 1200 was be VBD 1201 1207 thrust thrust VBN 1208 1212 back back RB 1213 1217 into into IN 1218 1221 the the DT 1222 1228 global global JJ 1229 1238 spotlight spotlight NN 1239 1241 in in IN 1242 1251 September September NNP 1252 1261 following follow VBG 1262 1271 Australia Australia NNP 1271 1273 ’s 's POS 1274 1281 refusal refusal NN 1282 1284 to to TO 1285 1291 accept accept VB 1292 1295 438 438 CD 1296 1302 mainly mainly RB 1303 1309 Afghan afghan IN 1310 1318 refugees refugee NNS 1319 1326 rescued rescue VBN 1327 1331 from from IN 1332 1333 a a DT 1334 1341 leaking leak VBG 1342 1346 ship ship NN 1347 1350 and and CC 1351 1359 stranded strand VBD 1360 1362 at at IN 1363 1366 sea sea NN 1367 1370 for for IN 1371 1375 days day NNS 1375 1376 . . . 1383 1387 Hong Hong NNP 1388 1392 Kong Kong NNP 1393 1399 closed close VBD 1400 1403 its its PRP$ 1404 1408 last last JJ 1409 1416 refugee refugee NN 1417 1421 camp camp NN 1421 1422 , , , 1423 1426 for for IN 1427 1437 Vietnamese vietnamese JJ 1438 1446 migrants migrant NNS 1446 1447 , , , 1448 1452 last last JJ 1453 1457 year year NN 1458 1463 after after IN 1464 1467 the the DT 1468 1473 1,400 1,400 CD 1474 1483 remaining remain VBG 1484 1488 boat boat NN 1489 1495 people people NNS 1496 1500 were be VBD 1501 1508 allowed allow VBN 1509 1511 to to TO 1512 1518 remain remain VB 1518 1519 . . . 1520 1524 They they PRP 1525 1529 were be VBD 1530 1534 left leave VBN 1535 1539 over over RP 1540 1544 from from IN 1545 1548 the the DT 1549 1554 surge surge NN 1555 1557 of of IN 1558 1562 some some DT 1563 1570 230,000 230,000 CD 1571 1579 refugees refugee NNS 1580 1584 into into IN 1585 1588 the the DT 1589 1598 territory territory NN 1599 1608 following follow VBG 1609 1612 the the DT 1613 1617 fall fall NN 1618 1620 of of IN 1621 1627 Saigon Saigon NNP 1628 1630 in in IN 1631 1635 1975 1975 CD 1635 1636 . . . 1643 1646 The the DT 1647 1656 territory territory NN 1657 1662 spent spend VBD 1663 1666 8.7 8.7 CD 1667 1674 billion billion CD 1675 1682 dollars dollar NNS 1683 1690 looking look VBG 1691 1696 after after IN 1697 1701 them them PRP 1701 1702 . . .