CONFIDENTIAL
HKB 243/30
CONFIDENTIAL
FM HONG KONG
TO IMMEDIATE FCO
TELNO 2483
OF 25073OZ JULY 89
INFO IMMEDIATE UKMIS GENEVA
51
151422
MDHIAN 4483
Adoo doJ ¿isia t
VIETNAMESE BOAT PEOPLE: DISTURBANCE AT SEK KONG
DURING THE NIGHT OF 23/24 JULY A DISTURBANCE BROKE OUT AT THE SEK KONG CAMP. AT ABOUT 2100 HOURS ON 23 JULY SEVERAL HUNDRED VBP ATTACKED POLICE OFFICERS WHO WERE INVESTIGATING REPORTS OF BREACHES OF THE PERIMETER FENCE. TWO POLICE OFFICERS WERE SLIGHTLY INJURED. THE INMATES THEN TURNED THEIR ATTENTION TO THE ADMINISTRATIVE AREA OF THE CAMP AND POLICE REINFORCEMENTS WERE CALLED IN TO BRING THE SITUATION UNDER CONTROL.
2. AT ABOUT MIDNIGHT IT WAS DECIDED TO SEARCH THE CAMP FOR WEAPONS AND TO ATTEMPT TO IDENTIFY AND ARREST THOSE PEOPLE RESPONSIBLE FOR THE ATTACK ON THE POLICE. AS THE SEARCH PROGRESSED TO SECTION 4 OF THE CAMP THE POLICE MET RESISTANCE AND WERE FORCED TO WITHDRAW FROM THAT SECTION OF THE CAMP. TWO FURTHER POLICE OFFICERS WERE SLIGHTLY INJURED. DURING THE SEARCH TWO ARRESTS WERE MADE AND A NUMBER OF WEAPONS WERE SEIZED. THERE WAS NO FURTHER ACTION BY THE POLICE DURING THE NIGHT AND BY DAWN ON 24 JULY THE NUMBER OF ACTIVE DEMONSTRATORS HAD DWINDLED AND THE CAMP WAS QUIET. A FURTHER, RELATIVELY PASSIVE, DEMONSTRATION DEVELOPED AT ABOUT 0800 HOURS BUT LATER IN THE MORNING THIS DEMONSTRATION SUBSIDED AND THE NORMAL PATTERN OF LIFE IN THE CAMP WAS RESUMED.
3. DURING THE DISTURBANCE A 52 YEAR OLD INMATE COLLAPESED AND WAS TAKEN TO A NEARBY HOSPITAL WHERE HE WAS REPORTED DEAD ON ARRIVAL. IT HAS BEEN ALLEGED THAT HIS COLLAPSE FOLLOWED AN ASSAULT BY POLICE OFFICERS DURING THE SEARCH OF THE CAMP. SEVERAL OTHER VBP HAVE ALSO ALLEGED THAT THEY WERE ASSAULTED DURING THE SEARCH.
4. ALTHOUGH NO FURTHER DISTURBANCE HAS BEEN REPORTED THE MOOD IN THE CAMP REMAINS TENSE. WE ARE TAKING STEPS TO DEFUSE THIS TENSION BY SPEEDING UP THE PROVISION OF RELIEF ITEMS, STRENGTHENING THE MEDICAL TEAM IN THE CAMP AND PERMITTING VISITORS FROM OTHER CAMPS. WE ALSO INTEND TO STRENGTHEN THE PERIMETER FENCE. THE INDICATIONS SO FAR ARE THAT THE DISTURBANCES WER PRIMARILY THE RESULT OF CONDITIONS IN THIS HASTILY PREPARED CAMP. IT DOES NOT SEEM TO HAVE BEEN A PROTEST
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