bodyType

customContents

entityId

entityUuid

articlePageQuery

filter

article

articleBaseAdvertisingInfoArticle

articleListArticle

articleSeoArticle

helpersCheckIsPostiesArticle

hooksArticleAcknowledgementGateOverlayArticle

hooksTrackPageViewArticle

hooksContentInterestArticle

articleLinkingDataContent

articleSchemaContent

liveArticle

advertZone

sentiment

contentLock

topics

types

sections

moreOnThisArticles

urlAlias

commentCount

sponsorType

authorLocations

authors

paywallTypes

corrections

displaySlideShow

multimediaEmbed

printHeadline

seriesContainer

socialHeadline

headline

flag

firstTopic

glossary

flattenTypeIds

publishedDate

additionalInfoBoxes

images

image

relatedLinks

relatedNewsletters

__typename

createdDate

sponsor

factSheets

series

disableOffPlatformContent

published

updatedDate

summary

subHeadline

body

keywords

copyrighted

customTimezone

liveContents

SCMP Reporter

THE first boat person to be sent back from Hong Kong five times has been jailed on his latest return to Vietnam with officials keen to ensure he does not flee again.

  British diplomats and United Nations staff are urgently seeking explanations from authorities in the northern port city of Haiphong as to the fate of Hoang Duc Hung.

  Hung, 26, returned from Hong Kong on an orderly repatriation flight in June, is thought to have been jailed in August.

  Neither the embassy in Hanoi nor the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) has yet been given full accounts of his arrest or exact reasons for his detention.

  He had fled earlier this year in a record-breaking fifth illegal departure since 1989, telling Hong Kong officials organising planes homes for voluntary returnees that he simply 'loves to fly'.

  He frequently used aliases and had volunteered for previous flights home.

  However, sources in his home town of Haiphong said Hung was unmarried and wanted to make money working illegally in Hong Kong after living all his life in his parents' home.

  One senior Interior Ministry official said Hung had been detained on suspicion of being a long-time organiser of boats leaving illegally for Hong Kong.

  No decision had yet been taken whether to pursue court action.

  Vietnam has an accepted right to take action against returning criminals who escaped from jail or fled court appearances, but has pledged not to prosecute boat people for fleeing without exit visas.

  Illegal departure can ordinarily carry a sentence of up to 14 years under Vietnam's criminal code.

  Senior Haiphong official Hoang Van Dinh said he was aware of embassy and UNHCR interest in Hung, but said it was a 'police matter'.

  He was unable to give details of the case, but stressed he was being held for reasons other than illegal departure.

  'This is a very unique and strange case, we can be sure, and people must expect us to take firm action to watch him very closely and make sure he does not leave again.

  'We have never taken action for illegal departure against the more than 20,000 boat people we have accepted back to Haiphong and we will continue to follow this policy firmly.

  'This man has caused great problems to both sides and we must make sure that he is not allowed to continue this sort of crazy action.' 



Boat person who 'loves to fly' held in Haiphong to prevent further escapades