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INFO PRIORITY UKMIS GENEVA, WASHINGTON, HANOI
INFO PRIORITY HKGOS GENEVA, NEW YORK, SAN FRANCISCO, BRUSSELS INFO PRIORITY HONG KONG GOVERNMENT OFFICE LONDON
WASHINGTON PLEASE PASS SAN FRANCISCO
VIETNAMESE BOAT PEOPLE: REMOVAL OF 107 VBP FROM THE SHAM SHUI PO
CENTRE
1. ON 31 JANUARY CORRECTIONAL SERVICES DEPARTMENT STAFF CARRIED OUT
A DIFFICULT OPERATION TO MOVE 107 RELUCTANT BOAT PEOPLE FROM THE
SHAM SHUI PO CENTRE TO WHITEHEAD. REPORTS OF THIS OPERATION HAVE
APPEARED IN THE PRESS HERE AND MIGHT HAVE BEEN REPEATED ABROAD. YOU AND OTHERS, MIGHT FIND IT USEFUL TO HAVE A REPORT ON THIS OPERATION.
BACKGROUND
2. THE SHAM SHUI PO DETENTION CENTRE WAS DUE TO CLOSE IN MID
JANUARY (THE SITE IS REQUIRED FOR REDEVELOPMENT) AND MOST OF THE
3,000 INMATES WERE MOVED TO WHITEHEAD DURING THE FIRST HALF OF THE MONTH. A GROUP OF 107 PEOPLE REFUSED TO MOVE. THEY DEMANDED THE RETURN OF THEIR BOAT SO THAT THEY COULD LEAVE HONG KONG AND TRAVEL ON TO JAPAN.
3. WHEN THEY ARRIVED IN HONG KONG IN MAY 1989 THIS GROUP MADE IT
CLEAR TO THE MARINE POLICE THAT THEY WOULD PREFER TO SAIL ON TO JAPAN RATHER THAN ENTER A HONG KONG DETENTION CENTRE. THEY WERE OFFERED FOOD, FUEL AND WATER TO ENABLE THEM TO CONTINUE THEIR JOURNEY BUT THEIR BOAT WAS IN IMMINENT DANGER OF SINKING AND THEY ASKED FOR ASSISTANCE TO MAKE REPAIRS. THEY WERE THEREFORE TAKEN TO
A DETENTION CENTRE WHILE AN ASSESSMENT WAS MADE OF THE CONDITION OF
THEIR BOAT. UNFORTUNATELY, THE BOAT WAS BEYOND REPAIR AND IT BEGAN TO FILL WITH WATER ONCE THE CREW STOPPED BAILING. THE BOAT SANK AND
THE GROUP OF 107 HAVE BEEN IN DETENTION AT SHAM SHUI PO SINCE THEN.
4. ANY GROUP OF VBP WHO HAVE A SEAWORTHY BOAT MAY LEAVE HONG KONG
TO CONTINUE THEIR JOURNEY IF THEY WISH. THE LAST GROUP TO TAKE THIS
OPTION WAS IN DECEMBER 1987. THEY LEFT HONG KONG FOR TAIWAN BUT
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