European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - March 14, 1992, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Demise of thew filled Cit Yby Alice Cheng United press International or. Kwok Wai Yan an energetic 70-year-old, stayed up All night dressed in a smart suit waiting for morning to come and the clinic to which he had devoted much of his life to be forcibly closed. It was one of Many unlicensed medical facilities in Hong Kong a walled City a geographical quirk of history smack in the Middle in the crowded Colony where neither British nor chinese Law applied. The walled City is to be razed to make Way for a Park and a not incidentally a to Clear out the illegal and unlicensed enterprises for which it is famous. It is called the walled City because it originally was a Ching dynasty fort surrounded by Walls 18 feet tall. In 1943, during the japanese occupation of Hong Kong the wails were Tom Down to extend the Airport runway but the name stuck. Unlicensed medical tract toners operated with impunity in the Dank alleyways alongside criminal gangs brothels restaurants sweatshop garment factories and other businesses working on the fringe of legality a or beyond in. After serving the walled City Community for 41 years Kwok recently spent his last Day at work barricaded inside his clinic waiting for government officials evicting residents. Plans to redevelop the walled City grew at least in part from safety concerns As decades of unregulated and haphazard building led to Many Multi Story structures merely leaning on each other for support the Hong Kong buildings department estimated that Between 300 to 500 buildings crowd the 6v�-acre site. With so Many buildings forming a tight labyrinth the area earned the name Quot the City of darkness Quot a a place where sky and natural Light disappeared behind a mass of overhanging electricity cables and water pipes dangerously entwined. The walled City area was not included in Britain a 1898 lease on the territory and the old fort remained under chinese authority As a face saving measure for Beijing alter its defeat in the opium War but China later took Little interest in the enclave and British reluctance to let Beijing exert authority in the Middle of its Colony allowed the walled City to become a sort of free zone and a Haven for criminal activity. But this enclave also provided essential services to the Community linking the walled City economically with the readers action line Uncle Sam paid Bills for hostage treatment it a i m As Happy As the next american to have All the american hostages released. However i have questions who is paying the extensive Tab for their flights their Hospital stay their dental work their family members to be flown to meet them their shopping sprees and All the other things that they undoubtedly needed . Tetterton Bremerhaven Germany Joseph w. Reap jr., Public affairs officer office of counter terrorism . Department of state replies notto nol geographic Noodle maker right Tolle in the a City of darkness Quot which will be razed this year. Rest of Hong Kong. Businesses such As the medical and dental clinics provided Low Cost care and the diverse Economy inside unhindered by fire or safety regulations provided Hong Kong with everything from dried beef Jerky to affordable shoes. Hong Kong a plan to Clear the area Means about 100 unlicensed doctors and dentists will lose their livelihoods in the eviction. The mainly China trained doctors and dentists having fled communists in the 1940s or fanatical red guards in the 1960s, headed for the walled City where Hong Kong credentials were not required. Kwok whose clinic neighbors say was the walled City s first specialized As a urologist and performed operations such As cyst removals with the help of fellow physicians in the area. Quot the people who Are not healed from the outside doctors come to the walled City doctors. They know we can help them Quot Kwok said proudly. Quot but those that can to be healed in the walled City they can to be healed  two storefronts away from the clinics a late night Mah Jonggu Vigil at the prosperous Pine cafe was How the four generation no family chose to end its 40 years in the walled City. Quot we were never afraid Here Quot said the oldest of eight no  the most dangerous place is often the safest the triads gangs had lookouts All Over so the area was very Safe. They knew who belonged to the the . Hostages were victimized because of their nationality. Moreover All returning hostages had been through an extremely difficult ordeal. Therefore As a humanitarian gesture the department of state decided that it would be appropriate to provide logistical assistance and preliminary medical evaluations and treatment for freed hostages at the . Military Hospital in Wiesbaden. We also paid the transportation costs of family members to Fly to Wiesbaden to be reunited with former hostages. There were practical advantages to the . Government in providing such assistance. For example government debriefing experts found it most useful to talk to the newly released hostages in a relatively quiet setting shielded from the Media in Hopes of gaining insights and information about the other hostages and their captors. The doctors at the Wiesbaden military Hospital have extensive experience in dealing with former hostages going Back to the release in 1981 of the americans held. Notional geographic area and who did not we never had any  despite its Downtrodden appearance the area has drawn attention from busloads of japanese tourists and academics from the Netherlands Pakistan and the United states. Quot people come Here to live a loophole existence Quot said Sunn to a .-based architect and Fulbright scholar studying the walled City. Quot to escape taxes and regulations they give up space sunlight and fresh  Quot before we throw away this place like a crust of moldy bread we should learn what we can from this organic phenomenon a he said. In Tehran Iran. They Are particularly skilled at evaluating the medical and psychological needs of someone who has been in Captivity for periods of several years. The entire staff does All that it can to Welcome the hostages Back to  write us readers action line is the readers Quot court of last resort striving to answer some of the questions about life overseas in a military environment or questions about policies and guidelines when other avenues for answers Are not readily available. If you have a question and Don t know where to turn for the answer write to readers action line co the stars and stripes unit 29480, Apo a 09211. All letters must be signed and preference will be Given to Hose seeking information of general interest to our readers. Page 16 a the stars and stripes saturday March 14, 1992