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however, this prospect seems most urgent and possible at Nei Kwu Ch because of the camp's size and location. Asylum seekers also believe the Hong Kong Government plays mind games with them. For example, it initiated an offer of a boat but then ignored the asylum seekers who signed up to take it in order to continue their journey. The boat offer seemed to be only an empty gesture, as asylum seekers from other centres have requested that their boats be returned but were also refused.
Once camp management exploits it, the cohabitation of ethnic Chinese and Vietnamese creates a potentially dangerous situation. Activities and services make the distinction between the two groups and divide the population. In the previous year, the riot on Tai A Chau and trouble at Sek Kong have demonstrated the unfortunate consequences of favoritism.
Whitehead Detention Centre
The largest camp, Whitehead, houses over 20,000 people in 10 separate and distinct sections and constantly changes. The problem here is that people only represent numbers and not individual human beings. Admittedly, this treatment is a problem in Hong Kong in general, but at Whitehead it is most evident. The problems at this cluster of camps are as complex as the groups of people they detain. The general feeling at Whitehead is one of chaos where detainees and workers alike cannot know everything that goes on in the whole centre. Therefore, the asylum seekers easily feel anonymous and lost.
The physical setting of Whitehead looks especially depressing, and more so as it grows in size. The barbed wire seems to run endlessly and the whole centre is grey.
Though the centre is large, detainees are restricted to their small section. Often, they can be seen screaming to each other across the fences and dividing boulevard (dubbed Barbed Wire Blvd), or talking through cracks of the fence if it is someone from the next section. They also slip little gifts, such as cigarettes, notes, candies, among other things, under the fence, or hook a fishing line to each other. There are also cases where family members are at different sections of Whitehead and cannot be reunited for a long time.
The camp also limits asylum seekers' contact with outsiders. Each section is allowed one visiting day in ten days. After the visit and when searched, some items that are reportedly confiscated include plastic wash basinettes for babies, chewing gum, cooked food and magazines. CSD guards then keep these instead of giving them back to the visitor who brought them.
Constriction in such an unnatural setting really affects the mental and emotional state of the detained individuals. As in all camps, family disputes are quite common, and there is little privacy
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