PLANS aimed at avoiding violent confrontations between security forces and boat people are being finalised in preparation for what is expected to be the largest transfer of Vietnamese in recent years.
The move, geared towards stepping up forced repatriations, has been met with immediate and widespread opposition.
Inmates of Section 1 of the Sha Tin camp were told to begin packing their belongings in preparation for transfer to the High Island (north) camp, normally the first step towards forced repatriation.
An operation at High Island last Thursday met with violent opposition from a small element of the north camp population who were being removed for a deportation flight scheduled to leave for Hanoi tomorrow.
Many of those on the deportation flight were formerly in Section 8 at Whitehead. The Section 8 people all left the camp voluntarily after counselling by Correctional Services Department (CSD) and United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) staff.
But sources say the Government is gearing up for stiffer opposition from the Section 1 people in the wake of last week's confrontation at High Island where more than 40 CSD staff and police were injured.
Only about 100 of the 1,700 people in Section 1 had agreed to leave the camp yesterday. Some left for High Island and others chose to volunteer for repatriation and have been transferred to departure centres.
