TNAG-2323-FCO40-3367-Hong-Kong-Bill-of-Rights-Vietnamese-boat-people-1991 — Page 25

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fo igners from outside. For example, for children's outings orized by volunteers who needed interpreters, the CSD reluctantly let the adult detainees join them but made them promise not to talk about camp or refugee issues at all. Also, a voluntary agency expatriate staff member must be present to be responsible for those detainees even if there were a CSD staff going on the same outings. The fact that asylum seekers who work for voluntary agencies may never pick up the telephone, even to answer or take messages, also exemplifies management's repression of detainees' freedom of speech.

When asylum seekers held peaceful demonstrations and raised the Republic of Vietnam's flag, a symbol of democracy, and a "Human Rights Flag" which they designed and made in the camp, CSD forced them to remove those flags. That act of suppression made asylum seekers very angry because their symbolic expression did not violate any rules, nor was it destructive or obstructive.

The present population at Hei Ling Chau is screened relatively soon after its arrival in Hong Kong. The asylum seekers arrived directly from Tai A Chau, the isolated and deserted island used as a reception centre in Summer of 1989. Once in Hei Ling Chau, they were immediately screened and, as a result, they had very little or no understanding of the policy or process. This writer believes that Hei Ling Chau has one of the highest screened out rates; the first five months of screening resulted in only one family obtaining refugee status. Needless to say, asylum seekers feel the most stress and discouragement over screening.

Immigration officers spend little time on the actual fact-gathering interview, as much time is lost in transit to and from the outlying Hei Ling Chau island. Some UN interpreters who monitor the interviews have also talked about Immigration officers starting later and leaving earlier than necessary. At Hei Ling Chau, there are also similar stories of intimidating interviews as at other centres raised voices, table slapping and accusations that the asylum seeker is lying.

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Nei Kwu Chau Detention Centre

most

On the exterior, Nei Kwu Chau Detention Centre seems like a nicer centre because of its small size and more natural setting. Also, since the population constitutes mostly ethnic Chinese, detainees' communication with the CSD is much easier. However, of the asylum seekers have gone through fast-track screening, where they were interviewed as soon as they arrived on Green Island and had no understanding of the screening process. Most have received notices refusing them refugee status. There is little relief agency presence here, and being on an outlying island makes people feel even more isolated, kept in the dark, and vulnerable to forced repatriation. Asylum seekers at Nei Kwu Chau were panic-stricken and devastated when some people received news from Vietnam that the government there informed their relatives to expect their return. Asylum seekers' biggest fear is forced repatriation in all centres;