XN000022-1994-04-08 — Page 2

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FRIDAY, APRIL 8, 1994

CBF HAS CONFIDENCE IN HK SOLDIERS

FORCES HONG KONG, MAJOR GENERAL JOHN FOLEY, COMMANDER BRITISH

ISSUED THE FOLLOWING STATEMENT CONCERNING MATTERS SURROUNDING THE RECENT RESCUE OF BRITISH SOLDIERS FROM MOUNT KINABALU:

TODAY (FRIDAY)

REPORTED

HONG AND IN

"I HAVE NOTED THE TONE OF SOME RECENT PUBLIC COMMENT, IN THE MEDIA BOTH HERE AND IN THE UNITED KINGDOM, CONCERNING THE KONG SOLDIERS OF THE HONG KONG MILITARY SERVICE CORPS (HKMSC), PARTICULAR THOSE WHO PARTICIPATED IN EXERCISE GULLY HEIGHTS.

DEBATE ON

OF

AN OFFICIAL

"IT WOULD BE INAPPROPRIATE FOR ME TO ENTER A PUBLIC

SUBJECT THE MATTERS WHICH WILL QUITE ENQUIRY.

PROPERLY BE

IN

WOULD

"HOWEVER I WISH IT TO BE KNOWN THAT I HAVE TOTAL CONFIDENCE THE SOLDIERS OF THE CORPS, WITHOUT WHOM THE HONG KONG GARRISON BE UNABLE TO OPERATE, AND AM PROUD TO HAVE THEM UNDER MY COMMAND.

LIFE AND

"THEY ARE INVOLVED IN MOST ASPECTS OF GARRISON

ARE ACTIVITY AND THEIR EFFICIENCY, TRAINING, FITNESS AND GOOD HUMOUR

KONG ARE A CREDIT TO THEM AND SOMETHING OF WHICH BOTH THEY AND HONG

THEY MUST, TO ENTITLED TO BE PROUD. WHEN THEY RETURN, AS INEVITABLY CIVILIAN LIFE THEY WILL BRING THESE QUALITIES WITH THEM.

HKMSC SOLDIERS WHO

SURVIVED

THE

"I CONSIDER THAT THE THREE RECENT EXERCISE GULLY HEIGHTS HAVE CONDUCTED, AND CONTINUE TO CONDUCT, THEMSELVES WITH DIGNITY, RESTRAINT, AND FORTITUDE.

"

DEMONSTRATIONS AT DETENTION CENTRES STAGED IN PEACE

IN

RESPONSE

PRESS

ENQUIRIES,

A

CORRECTIONAL

SERVICES

AT

WERE BY

TO DEPARTMENT (CSD) SPOKESMAN SAID TODAY (FRIDAY) THAT THE SITUATIONS WHITEHEAD DETENTION CENTRE AND HIGH ISLAND DETENTION CENTRE AND LARGE PEACEFUL.

HOWEVER THAT

THERE

WERE ADDED SPOKESMAN THE DEMONSTRATIONS AGAINST THE GOVERNMENT'S POLICY ON VIETNAMESE (VMS) AND YESTERDAY'S TRANSFER OF VMS FROM WHITEHEAD TO HIGH THESE DEMONSTRATIONS WERE STAGED IN A PEACEFUL MANNER AND NO INCIDENTS HAPPENED.

SPORADIC MIGRANTS ISLAND. UNTOWARD

FROM

AFTER

AT THE HIGH ISLAND DETENTION CENTRE, SOME 700 VIETNAMESE THE SOUTH CAMP DEMONSTRATED FOR ABOUT AN HOUR STARTING SHORTLY 10 AM. ANOTHER DEMONSTRATION INVOLVING 600 PEOPLE BEGAN AT 4 PM AND LASTED FOR ABOUT AN HOUR.

THOSE

WHO

WERE

TRANSFERRED

TO THE

NOT

FROM CENTRE

WHITEHEAD THEY WERE YESTERDAY WERE NOW ACCOMMODATED IN THE NORTH SECTION. INVOLVED IN THE DEMONSTRATIONS,

/AT WHITEHEAD,