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Whitehead has the most vocal population among the detention centres, and management reacts negatively to any voice of protest or any political thoughts or expressions. The Republic of Vietnam's flag, raised even in camps of Northerners, and the American Flag, for freedom and justice, and the S.0.S. Flag, designed in camp, were ordered to be removed many times as asylum seekers persistently put them back up. Finally, management issued a warning that anyone who climbs up (to raise the flags) would be arrested and prosecuted. A replica of the Statue of Liberty made in Section 6 was also removed. Slogans of protest or cries for help written on walls were also erased by paint.
Though the CSD tolerates peaceful demonstrations, they interrogate asylum seekers to find out the identities of the organizers, who they contact, and their means. After that, they are given warnings and closely watched. In May this year, during a big dawn raid of the centre, the riot police dragged away those they called "trouble makers" and put them in prisons and later, locked them up at Chi Ma Wan Detention Centre Upper Camp, which is designated as a disciplinary centre. Among those arrested were political activists.
The authorities silence, distort or belittle any form of protest. Hunger strikers are ignored or promised attention, from the UN, etc., attention that brings about no changes.
Self-mutilations are passed off as staged. Camp authorities negates or denies the motivation and desperation behind the detainees' acts and statements. With all the distressing problems and powerlessness the asylum seeker faces, does he have many choices?
Conclusion
Since its implementation from 1982 with closed camps and again from 1988 with detention centres, Hong Kong's policy of "humane deterrence", or detention policy, purposes to discourage Vietnamese from seeking asylum in Hong Kong. Therefore, practices inside the detention centres reflect this aim and make them an unlivable place physically, psychologically and spiritually. The centres' physical conditions are unhealthy. But worse is the institutionalization and dehumanization of asylum seekers. The Government controls the individual detainee's daily activities. He is isolated from the world; the Government limits his direct personal contact and his indirect contact through reading materials, for example. The Government restricts his movement and silences his voice. He cannot write or say anything to anybody he chooses. He is kept in anxiety, not knowing his future and afraid everyday of crimes which the camp management allows to occur, and he fearfully anticipates forced repatriation. In the detention centre, many problems face the
detainees.
The detention policy poses some serious concerns. One is that the asylum seekers are not allowed to live like human beings. Another major concern is that the detention policy itself implies that
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