862
CONFIDENTIAL
FM HONG KONG
TO DESKBY 051300Z FCO
TELNO 3713
OF 051123Z OCTOBER 88
166311
100 COL MDHIAN 6427
HRD 242
CONFIDENTIAL
1.88
-5OCT160
OWN I
INFO IMMEDIATE HONG KONG GOVERNMENT OFFICE LONDON, HKGO BRUSSELS INFO IMMEDIATE HKGO GENEVA, HKGO NEW YORK, HKGO WASHINGTON INFO SAVING HKGO SAN FRANCISCO
(737)
MY TELNO 3234 (NOT TO ALL): VIETNAMESE BOAT PEOPLE: REPORT ON
DISTURBANCES AT HEI LING CHAU
THE TWO JUSTICES OF THE PEACE WHOM I APPOINTED ON 3 SEPTEMBER TO
REPORT ON ALLEGATIONS CONCERNING THE TREATMENT OF VIETNAMESE BOAT PEOPLE AT HEI LING CHAU DETENTION CENTRE ON 18 AND 19 JULY, SUBMITTED THEIR REPORT AT THE END OF LAST WEEK.
2. THE REPORT IS A CAREFUL AND THOROUGH PIECE OF WORK. IT REFERS
TO THE DIFFICULT CIRCUMSTANCES IN WHICH THE CORRECTIONAL SERVICES
WERE WORKING DURING AND IMMEDIATELY AFTER THE DISTURBANCES. IT
SAYS THAT THE TACTICAL RESPONSE SQUAD OF THE CORRECTIONAL SERVICES
DEPARTMENT DESERVE TO BE COMMENDED FOR THEIR SUCCESSFUL CLEARANCE OF THE TWO HALLS. HOWEVER, THE REPORT ALSO SHOWS THAT THERE WAS A BREAKDOWN IN DISCIPLINE ON THE PART OF SOME OTHER CORRECTIONAL
SERVICES STAFF. THE TWO JPS CONCLUDE THAT:
A)
B)
UNNECESSARY FORCE WAS USED BY UNIDENTIFIED CORRECTIONAL
SERVICES DEPARTMENT OFFICERS ON MANY OF THE VIETNAMESE
BOAT PEOPLE ON 19 JULY 1988:
THAT BATONS WERE USED, WITH A DEGREE OF FORCE RANGING FROM MILD TO MODERATELY HARD.
3. THE JUSTICES ALSO COMMENT ON OTHER ISSUES, INCLUDING COMPLAINTS OF INSUFFICIENT FOOD AND LOSS OF POSSESSIONS: THE PROBLEMS POSED BY
THE LANGUAGE BARRIER: AND THE LACK OF INTERPRETERS AT CRITICALS STAGES OF THE INCIDENTS. THEY DESCRIBE THEMSELVES AS UNIMPRESSED
BY THE SYSTEM OF MEDICAL EXAMINATIONS CONDUCTED AT BOTH HEI LING
CHAU DETENTION CENTRE AND INITIALLY AT LAI CHI KOK RECEPTION CENTRE.
4. THE AG HAS ADVISED THAT BOTH THE SCALE OF THE INCIDENTS AND THE
DIFFICULTIES OF OBTAINING RELIABLE EVIDENCE ARGUE AGAINST PURSUING
1
PAGE
CONFIDENTIAL
No comments yet.
Private notes are available after approval.