TNAG-0111-FCO40-147-Detainees-and-prisoners-following-19671968-disturbances-1969 — Page 178

TERNATIONAL

COMMITTEE

፡

GENEVA

OF THE RED

CROSS

ICRC

Geneva.

Dear Sirs,

116/2/1

H. HEFTI FRANCAMASMIGRIMKARAN

HONORARY DELEGATE I. C. R. C. G. P. O. BOX 659

HONG KONG

CABLE ADDRESS: INTERCROSS HONG KONG

13th May 1968.

TEL. MAI 236131

¥370

"CARE, REGIST

16-5:68

WEAROS

Further to my letter of the 1st inst. I am pleased to report that by courtesy of the Colonial Secretariat, I was granted permission to visit the Victoria Road Detention Centre. For your information I enclose photocopy of Mr. A. Todd's letter · of the 6th inst. addressed to me from which you will notice that there were some minor conditions attached to my visit.

4

I have meanwhile visited the Centre on the 7th inst. for about 2 hours in company of the Chief Superintendent (Special Branch) who is directly responsible for the Centre to the Director of Special Branch and the Senior Inspector who runs the Centre.

**

The Centre is located in Wictoria Road, a few miles West of town and overlooking the harbour-approaches. It used to be an Army Officers' Mess and was later taken over be the Police for the purposes of a Detention Centre and accordingly adapted. It consists basically of three 2-storey structures. One for Administration and staff and the other two for detention purposes. One of these two was converted for detention, having previously been used for staff quarters etc. Originally, detainees in this Centre were persons retained under the Deportation of Aliens Ordinance and the average period of detention was short. Due to last year's disturbances, persons under the Emergency Regulations are now also detained there. The former are detained under a Warrant for Arrest and Detention issued by the Governor for an original period of 14 dỹas with further warrants of extension of 7 days with no limits for any additional periods of detention. The latter are held in custody by an Order for Detention issued by the Colonial Secretary for upto one year..

!

Ste

14

The Centre is of a "maximum" security type, particularly one block where most cells are "inside" cells without day-light at all. The detainees are under 24 hours surveyance and lights are never switched off. Apart from the Administration staff, kitchen and laundry personnel, there are 3 shifts of guards each consisting of one European Inspector, 4 Chinese Non-Commissioned Officers and 11 Constables. There are also 2 police dogs. I understand that the staff has been carefully selected and they are all highly trained "Special branch" men. No uniforms are worn by the police officers for which there must be several reasons, not the least of it I could imagine to prevent any repercussion on some of the policemen who could otherwise easily be identified by their number-badges.

./.