HONG KONG, Dec 2 (AFP) - A large proportion of mainland Chinese prostitutes in Hong Kong are not using condoms because they fear police would use them as evidence, a sex workers' rights group said Thursday.

A survey of 108 mainland Chinese immigrant prostitutes carried out by the group Teng Zi found 43 percent did not use condoms because they feared police would use them as proof of their profession and have them deported.

Another 23 percent said they spurned them to please their clients.

The data came one day after a worldwide survey showed Asian awareness of AIDS was worryingly low.

Teng Zi said prostitutes were refusing to buy condoms for fear of being arrested.

"Mainlanders are just stopped routinely because police think they are illegal immigrants -- but if they are found to have condoms then they are arrested as prostitutes," said Teng Zi spokeswoman Yim Yuet-lin.

"We know of at least two women who were harassed and they were just tourists," Yim said.

Police could not be immediately reached for comment.

The number of new HIV cases in Hong Kong rose to 73 in the third quarter of 2004, up from 56 in the same period last year, the Hong Kong government said Tuesday.

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