XN000022-1996-05-10 — Page 4

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Transcript of the media session by the Deputy to the Governor

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Following is the transcript of the media session by the Deputy to the Governor, Mrs Anson Chan, after visiting Police and Correctional Services officers who were injured at the Whitehead incident early this (Friday) morning:

Mrs Chan: Good afternoon everyone. I've just come from visiting five officers from the Correctional Services Department and from the Police Department who were injured in the incident at Whitehead this morning. I think the incident and the behaviour of inmates, particularly resorting to violence and causing damage to life and limbs and property is deplorable behaviour which we will not tolerate. But the staff of the Correctional Services Department and the Police Department have acted with their usual restraint, courage and good sense, and the situation now in Whitehead is under control. I've just received a full briefing from the Commissioner of Correctional Services and from the Deputy Commissioner of Police. Of course, we are all very sorry that staff have been injured during this incident, but I stress again that they have exercised with the greatest restraint and with the greatest courage. And I'm sure everybody in the community would join me in commending their behaviour and wishing them a very speedy recovery. I've heard from the doctors that the injury that they sustain is not serious and happily most of them can be discharged either today or tomorrow. I want also to make it clear that we remain as determined as ever to repatriate all Vietnamese migrants to Vietnam as soon as possible. This incident has not lessened our resolve to encourage more voluntary repatriation and to step up momentum on the orderly repatriation programme. We have today removed 900 inmates from Whitehead to High Island and we'll be continuing this exercise

tomorrow.

Question: Some people suggested that the Correctional Services actually provoked the violence by moving these people around and into crowded prisons, unnecessarily causing ...?

Mrs Chan: Let me refute that very categorically. There's no basis to this accusation. The staff of the Correctional Services Department work under extremely trying conditions in these camps; they do the best job they possibly can and I don't think that their behaviour on this occasion can in anyway be criticised. They put their own life at risk but they are extremely dedicated to their work. I have only the highest praise for the way in which they have performed their work this time.

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