October 1988
24 Chancery Avenue Mossy Oak, Brisbane
ged & Foo
Open letter to Sir David, Her Majesty's Governor in HongKong
As a HongKong resident in pursuit of the political insurance of the Australian passport, I am following the events in HongKong closely through Hongkong newspapers.
I have a strong inclination to return to my home HongKong after serving my 'prison' term here. My parents are still in HongKong. I would like to air my indignance through your column regarding the latest development on the Vietnamese refugee issue.
Having gone all the way for the past 13 years HongKong has finally earned the opposite of a humanitarian name in the international arena. The 1982 closed camp policy culminating in the 1988 Screening pertaining to detention without trial policy finally resulted in a burst of public outcry round the world.
The notorious San Yick closed camps with 4000 boat people detained as "illegal immigrants" finally aroused so much world wide publicity that abolishing of such atrocities now becomes mandatory. The unjustified use of force in the form of beating of 98 Hei Ling Chau boat people "prisoners" with truncheons was exposed by the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugee. Unfortunately this offence (which is of criminal nature) was denied by a report after internal investigation by the correctional service and the medical and health department, with subsequent cover-up denied by the Security Branch. Yet worst of all, the criminal beatings have since been confirmed by 2 government appointed independent investigators whose report was released on October 7th. From here in Australia, it is seen that 3 government departments the Security Branch, the Correctional Service (Prison authority) and the Medical and Health Service are now suspect of having resorted to illegal and unethical practices in discharging their duties. It must be a case for an independent commission to fully investigate.
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In the meantime, the HongKong image of humanitarianism is in ruins. Hongkong has done so much, paid such a high price out of goodwill for the Vietnamese. Now, all that is thrown away. Who has done this?
I put it to the President of the Legislative Council, the Governor Sir David Wilson, the vital question of accountability and responsibility in the mis-management of the entire Vietnamese refugee policy. The accountability and responsibility has to be around several points.
Firstly, the undue hardship of detention without trial inflicted on these boat people, motivated by the hypothetical and subsequently disproven deterrent effect of such a policy.