CONFIDENTI AL
GR 450
CONFIDENTIAL
FM HONG KONG 040957Z MAY 82
TO PRIORITY F C O
TELEGRAM NUMBER 451 OF 4 MAY
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RECEIVED IN RICH. YR2. 51
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AF575
INFO PRIORITY HONG KONG GOVERNMENT OFFICE LONDON, UKMIS GENEVA
VIETNAMESE REFUGEES: KAI TAK NORTH
A DISTURBANCE OCCURRED YESTERDAY IN THE ABOVE OPEN CAMP IN WHICH ABOUT 7,500 VIETNAMESE REFUGEES ARE ACCOMMODATED. THEY CONTAIN THE HARD CORE CASES, TO WHICH HAS RECENTLY BEEN ADDED OTHER CASES WHO HAD PREVIOUSLY HOPED TO BE RESETTLED UNDER THE U:S. PROGRAMME BUT WHO ARE NO LONGER ELIGIBLE.
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2. THIS CAMP HAS ALWAYS PRESENTED MANAGEMENT PROBLEMS BECAUSE OF THE OVERCROWDING AND THE FACT THAT MANY HAVE BEEN IN THE CAMP FOR
MORE THAN TWO YEARS. AS A RESULT IT HAS NOT BEEN EASY TO APPLY CAMP RULES OR TO MAINTAIN PROPER DISCIPLINE.
3. THERE HAD BEEN SOME EARLIER INCIDENTS ON 1 AND 2 MAY, BUT THE SITUATION FLARED UP AGAIN YESTERDAY AFTERNOON WHEN A DISPUTE DEVELOPED BETWEEN A GROUP OF REFUGEES FROM NORTH AND CENTRAL VIETNAM AND A GROUP FROM SOUTH VIETNAM AND VIOLENCE BROKE OUT. FOLLOWING THE ARRIVAL OF POLICE REINFORCEMENTS THE INITIAL OUTBREAK WAS CONTAINED AND THE FACTIONS WERE SEGREGATED: BUT MORE SERIOUS DISTURBANCES OCCURRED ABOUT 2100, EVENTUALLY INVOLVING UP TO ABOUT 1200 PERSONS. IN THE COURSE OF THIS, ONE HUT WAS SET ALIGHT, STONES AND OTHER MISSILES WERE THROWN, AND THE FIRE SERVICES WERE PREVENTED FROM ENTERING THE CAMP IMMEDIATELY.
4. THE POLICE WERE REINFORCED AND ORDER WAS RESTORED THOUGH THE HUT WAS BURNT OUT. FOUR POLICE OFFICERS AND 12 REFUGEES WERE HURT AND 9 REFUGEES WERE ADMITTED TO HOSPITAL AND 5 HAVE BEEN DETAINED. ABOUT 20 REFUGEES HAD BEEN ARRESTED.
5. SOME DAMAGE WAS DONE TO THE CAMP BUILDINGS, WINDOWS, ETC.
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