THURSDAY, APRIL 9, 1992
(5)
EVERYONE
(6)
.(7)
INVOLVED,
WHETHER OR NOT
CONVERSANT
WITH THE
VIETNAMESE LANGUAGE, KNEW THAT AS FROM 2300 HOURS ON FEBRUARY INMATES OF SECTION C WERE AT GRAVE RISK OF INJURY TO LIFE
3RD AND LIMB.
THERE WAS A SUBSTANTIAL STOCK OF CS GAS AVAILABLE TO THE FORCES OF LAW AND ORDER THROUGHOUT THE INCIDENT AND IT WAS KNOWN THAT THE ARRIVAL OF PTU PLATOONS WITH FURTHER SUPPLIES WAS IMMINENT. "PTU" MEANS POLICE TACTICAL UNIT.
AT NO STAGE AFTER 2353 HOURS WAS THE OFFICER IN COMMAND, WHO HAD TO BORROW A RESPIRATOR, AWARE OF THE PRESENCE OF OR, IN ANY EVENT, ABLE TO COMMUNICATE WITH THE CONSTABLES ON THE CONTAINER MENTIONED IN (9) OR VICE VERSA. HAD HE LEARNT OF EITHER OF THE MESSAGES REPORTING FIRE IN A HUT IN SECTION C, WHICH THEY TRANSMITTED BY BEAT RADIO, I AM QUITE SATISFIED THAT HE WOULD IMMEDIATELY HAVE GIVEN THE ORDER TO USE CS GAS AND RE-ENTER SECTION C. AS IT WAS HE TOOK SUCH ACTION ONLY WHEN, AT 0013 HOURS ON FEBRUARY 4TH, HE SAW INMATES OF SECTION GRIEVOUSLY ASSAULTED IN FRONT OF HIS VERY EYES.
C BEING
(8)
BETWEEN 2325 HOURS AND 2353 HOURS NO ONE OFFICER WAS EFFECTIVELY IN COMMAND AT SHEK KONG.
(9)
(10)
THE ONLY EFFECTIVE OBSERVATION POST, FROM WHICH ALL THAT WAS HAPPENING AT SECTION C COULD READILY BE SEEN, WAS THE TOP OF THE CONTAINER TO WHICH TWO OBSERVERS HAD BEEN POSTED. DUE ΤΟ THE ABSENCE OF COMMUNICATION BETWEEN THOSE OBSERVERS AND THE OFFICER IN COMMAND AND HIS IMMEDIATE SUBORDINATES, ITS VALUE WAS GREATLY DIMINISHED.
IN THE CIRCUMSTANCES DESCRIBED AND WITH THE BENEFIT OF HINDSIGHT IT IS APPARENT THAT WHILE THE PROTECTION OF LIFE MUST HAVE BEEN REGARDED AS A PRINCIPLE OBJECTIVE THE INITIATIVE WAS NOT SWIFTLY SEIZED OR HELD BY THE POLICE. NOR WAS LAW AND ORDER RESTORED AS QUICKLY AS POSSIBLE AS REQUIRED
BY POLICE INTERNAL GUIDELINES. SIGNS CAPABLE OF INTERPRETATION AS WEAKNESS WERE PERMITTED TO APPEAR. HAD THE POLICE AGAIN FIRED CS GAS AT 2355 HOURS AND RE-ENTERED SECTION C THE TRAGEDY MIGHT WELL HAVE BEEN AVERTED. AS IT WAS THE CROWD HAD RE-FORMED AND RE-GROUPED AND THE ATTACK ON HUT 6 BEEN RESUMED AFTER THE FIRING OF CS GAS CEASED AT ABOUT 2342 HOURS.
RECOMMENDATIONS
(1)
HAVING REGARD TO THE BEREAVEMENT, INJURY AND CONSEQUENT BITTERNESS AND HATRED WHICH IS THE LEGACY OF THE INCIDENT, VIETNAMESE FROM THE NORTH SHOULD NOT, UNTIL THE CLIMATE HAS IMPROVED, BE HOUSED TOGETHER WITH THOSE FROM THE CENTRE AND SOUTH OF THAT COUNTRY. FURTHER SUB-DIVISION MAY BE CALLED
FOR THE
AS HAS BEEN FOUND NECESSARY AT WHITEHEAD. THIS WAS EFFECT OF THE ORDER CONFIRMED BY YOUR EXCELLENCY ON THE MORNING OF FEBRUARY 4TH.
/(2) THE