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FM HONG KONG
TO IMMEDIATE FCO
TELNO 558
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HKB
RECEIVED F
243/4
1 MAR 1980
141134
MDHIAN 6813
COPY DIST ?
OF 14080OZ FEBRUARY 90
INFO IMMEDIATE HANOI, UKMIS GENEVA, WASHINGTON
VIETNAMESE BOAT PEOPLE: WHITEHEAD
1. THERE HAS BEEN A SERIOUS DISTURBANCE DURING THE PAST 24 HOURS AT THE WHITEHEAD DETENTION CENTRE. SEVERAL HUNDRED YOUNG MEN FROM THE HAIPHONG AND QUANG NINH FACTIONS ATTACKED EACH OTHER IN SECTIONS 3 AND 4 OF THE CENTRE DURING THE EVENING OF THE 13 FEBRUARY. 150 OFFICES FROM THE CSD TACTICAL RESPONSE SQUAD (TRS) AND 250 POLICE TACTICAL UNIT (PTU) OFFICERS WERE DEPLOYED TO THE CAMP. TEAR GAS WAS USED AND THE SITUATION WAS BROUGHT UNDER CONTROL BY ABOUT 1200Z. DURING THIS FIRST EPISODE 15 CSD OFFICERS SUSTAINED MINOR INJURIES AND 18 VBP WERE INJURED. 10 OF THE BOAT PEOPLE WERE TAKEN TO HOSPITAL FOR TREATMENT.
2. FIGHTING ERUPTED AGAIN AT ABOUT 2230Z. THE TRS AND PTU WERE AGAIN DEPLOYED TO THE CENTRE AND ONCE AGAIN TEAR GAS WAS USED TO RESTORE ORDER. IN THIS SECOND EPISODE, 26 VBP WERE INJURED, SOME, IT SEEMS, SERIOUSLY. 4 CSD OFFERS RECEIVED MINOR INJURIES. THE FIGHTING CEASED AT ABOUT 14010OZ BUT, NOT SURPRISINGLY, THE CAMP REMAINS TENSE.
3. THIS HAS BEEN A SERIOUS AND QUITE A VIOLENT DISTURBANCE. EARLY REPORTS SUGGEST THAT SOME PEOPLE HAVE SUSTAINED SERIOUS INJURIES. IT SHOULD PERHAPS BE EMPHASISED THAT THE ATTACKS WERE NOT DIRECTED AT THE CSD AND THE POLICE. THIS IS YET ANOTHER INCIDENT IN THE LONG RUNNING HAIPHONG QUANG NINH FEUD. WE HAVE TRIED TO SEGREGATE THESE TWO GROUPS AT WHITEHEAD BUT ON THIS OCCASION THEY MANAGED TO DESTROY PART OF THE FENCE BETWEEN SECTIONS 2 AND 3.
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