The treatment of the population was according to the residents very rude and humiliating. They were not allowed to eat throughout the entire day or to dress, remaining in the clothes they had slept in. As it rained during the day and was relatively cold this added to their distress.
At about 15:00 hrs they were allowed to return to their huts. However one particular incident then happened in section 5 when pregnant women were allowed to leave their hut, one unidentified police officer sprayed CN gas over the first group of about 10 pregnant women exiting from the hut. He then left and the rest of the women encountered no further problems.
When returning to their huts the residents discovered that the huts had been completely ransacked by the police. Everything was thrown on the floor and often destroyed. All bottles or jars were emptied and the contents were scattered around, including in one case the ashes of the deceased mother of one of the residents.
The International Social Service Hong Kong responsible for the school in Whitehead has reported severe damage to both buildings and offices caused by the police during their search there. During the operation only police officers entered the school compound. No resident or other person was allowed to enter.
Some 185 persons were arrested and removed from the centre following the operation. This included a number of those already in the confinement cells. Of this group CSD has recorded five complaints of physical abuse of residents by the police which have been transferred to the Complaints Against Police Office.
UNHCR has not been given a list of those arrested nor reasons for their arrest. One of those arrested was recently recognised as a refugee but has not yet been notified officially.
Bo Schack Protection Officer
10 May 1990
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