TNAG-1797-FCO40-2557-Hong-Kong-Vietnamese-refugees-repatriation--including-Opera-1988 — Page 129

CONFIDENTIAL

MKD 243/8

лко

883

166303

MDHIAN 6426

CONFIDENTIAL

FM HONG KONG

TO DESKBY 0513OOZ FCO

TELNO 3714

OF 051123Z OCTOBER 88

NYTOP COPY

DIST

INFO IMMEDIATE HONG KONG GOVERNMENT OFFICE LONDON, HKGO BRUSSELS INFO IMMEDIATE HKGO GENEVA, HKGO NEW YORK, HKGO WASHINGTON

INFO SAVING HKGO SAN

FRANCISCO

MIPT:

VIETNAMESE BOAT PEOPLE: REPORT ON DISTURBANCES AT HEI LING

CHAU: PRESS RELEASE

BEGINS

THE GOVERNMENT TODAY PUBLISHED THE REPORT BY TWO JUSTICES OF THE

PEACE APPOINTED BY THE GOVERNOR LAST MONTH TO LOOK INTO COMPLAINTS

CONCERNING THE TREATMENT OF VIETNAMESE BOAT PEOPLE FOLLOWING

DISTURBANCES AT THE HEI LING CHAU DETENTION CENTRE ON 18 AND 19

JULY THIS YEAR.

COMMENTING ON THE REPORT, A GOVERNMENT SPOKESMAN SAID:-

''THE TWO JUSTICES HAVE CARRIED OUT A VERY THOROUGH INVESTIGATION

INTO THE EVENTS WHICH OCCURRED AT HAI LING CHAU ON 18 AND 19

JULY. THEIR REPORT CLEARLY RECOGNISES THAT OFFICERS OF THE

CORRECTIONAL SERVICES DEPARTMENT WERE OPERATING UNDER CONSID-

ERABLE PRESSURE AT THE TIME OF THE INCIDENT AND COMMENDED THEM

FOR THEIR SUCCESS IN EVACUATING THE TWO HALLS IN WHICH

DISTURBANCES HAD TAKEN PLACE THE NIGHT BEFORE.

BUT THE JUSTICES HAVE ALSO CONCULDED THAT UNNECESSARY FORCE

WAS USED BY SOME UNIDENTIFIED CORRECTIONAL SERVICES DEPARTMENT OFFICERS ON VIETNAMESE BOAT PEOPLE ON 19 JULY, THE JUSTICES HAVE ALSO MADE CRITICISM OF THE ACTIONS OF SOME OF THE DOCTORS

INVOLVED AND IDENTIFIED SOME DEFICIENCIES IN THE OPERATIONAL AND

ADMINISTRATIVE ARRANGEMENTS FOR HANDLING THE VIETNAMESE BOAT

PEOPLE.

''THE REPORT CONCLUDES THAT SOME LAPSES OF DISCIPLINE OCCURED

AMONG CORRECTIONAL SERVICES DEPARTMENT OFFICERS THE SPOKESMAN SAID. (QUOTE) THE DEPARTMENT RIGHTLY ENJOYS A HIGH REPUTATION. TO MAINTAIN THIS, APPROPRIATE ACTION MUST BE TAKEN TO FOLLOW UP THE FINDINGS IN THE REPORT. IT IS ALSO IMPORTANT THAT THE OTHER

1

PAGE

CONFIDENTIAL