From: tnguyen@oasys.dt.navy.mil (Thang Nguyen)
Newsgroups: soc.culture.vietnamese
Subject: [Refugees] Call for action to stop more deaths
Date: 28 Aug 92 21:49:36 GMT
Reply-To: tnguyen@oasys.dt.navy.mil (Thang Nguyen)
Organization: Carderock Division, NSWC, Bethesda, MD

Dear netters:

Following is an information packet that I just put together for
your use. I will post Fax numbers of UNHCR offices around the
world.

Please write, call, fax, cable to UNHCR in Geneva and in your
country. Please send the enclosed information to local newspapers,
TV, Radio stations, organizations and churches.

On Monday, I will post an updated packet.

Please take immediate action to prevent further deaths and violence
in the camp.

Cordially,
Thang. 

                              DRAFT

FOR IMMEDIATE PRESS RELEASE

August 28, 1992

             VIETNAMESE ASYLUM SEEKER SELF-IMMOLATED
IN PROTEST OF UNHCR'S SCREENING POLICY

GALANG, INDONESIA -- Yesterday, August 27, Trinh Anh Huy, a 20 year
old boat person, doused himself with kerosene and burned himself to
death in front of the UNHCR's office after being denied refugee
status, in the presence of several international lawyers.

Huy is described by several non-governmental organizations as an
"active and productive" volunteer, teaching English and repairing
typewriters at a vocational school. Huy is survived by his father,
Trinh Anh Diep, who is still in Galang.

A large demonstration is being planned by the 18,000 boat people in
Galang in protest of UNHCR's screening policy [the UNHCR does the
actual screening in Galang despite their claim to the contrary]. 

The tension is described to be dangerously high in Galang at the
moment. The situation is made worse by UNHCR's food policy, dubbed
by many boat people the "starvation policy". Starting in February
of this year, the UNHCR has made a number of cuts in the already
meager food rations in Galang. According to the latest figures
available and confirmed, the average caloric intake in Galang for
the month of June stood at less than 50% of the minimum recommended
by World Health Organization and World Food Program. Before the
cuts, it was at 85%. The Government of Indonesia has constantly
opposed UNHCR's food policy. 

Several other suicides and suicide attempts have been reported from
Galang in past years. On August 30 of last year, Ms. Trinh Kim
Huong, 28, burned herself to death after being denied refugee
status. There is fear among camp workers that, if UNHCR's food
policy is not immediately stopeed and screening not improved, the
explosive situation in Galang will incur more suicides and mass
violence in the next few days.

                LETTERS FROM GALANG, INDONESIA

San Diego, Saturday 15 August, 1992

Dear Editor:

I am a boat person from Galang, Indonesia, resettled in the USA on
June 24, 1992, as a refugee.

I was an officer in the Military Police of the Army of the Republic
of Vietnam with 8 years in re-education camps. I escaped by boat on
September 9, 1989 and arrived on Indonesian territory on October 3,
1989...

... I would like to limit this letter to the food rations
distributed by the UNHCR in Galang. There are other disturbing
issues of which I was an witness; I have been asked by the
Vietnamese community in Galang to speak up on their behalf...

Food distribution is carried out by UNHCR's Procurement Unit  in
coordination with the Procurement Office of the Vietnamese Camp
Committee. There are two types of distribution:

1. Monthly rations for each person consist of: 1 liter of cooking
oil (vegetable oil), 1/3 of a bottle of soy sauce (equivalent to
0.25 liter), 100 g of table salt, and 9 cans of sardines in water
donated by Norway. Sardines are usually past expiration date in
swollen containers and therefore not consumable. The net weight of
each can is 100 g. In average 1 kg of green vegetables (water
cress, cabbage, egg plants, papaya, lettuce, cucumber, pumpkin, or
gourd... depending on the Indonesian contractor) were distributed
per  month. Soy sauce and green vegetables have been cut since the
beginning of this year. As for sardines, in May and June, we
received only 2 instead of 9 cans. UNHCR said that they would make
up for the missing rations later but that never happened. Similar
promises had been regularly broken in the past.

2. Weekly rations for each person consist of: about 2.5 kg of rice
(there were weeks when we received only 2/3 of that ration); 3 bags
of instant noodles (since March 92, instant noodles have been cut
from the food rations); 150 g of wet brown sugar (as compared to
white sugar in the past); 150 g of mung beans and 150 g of soya
beans (these three items were listed at 150 g on paper but the
actual amount received by boat people was less than 100 g each;
oftentimes they were skipped altogether); and 1 liter of kerosene.

My son and I did not have any relative overseas to support us and
therefore had to eat as sparingly as possible. However, the food
provided by the UNHCR could last only 10 days for us (except for
kerosene and cooking oil which we did not know what to use for
since there was not enough food to cook.) As for the remaining 20
days we had to make do and this was reminiscent of my days in re-
education camp.

...From time to time there were delegations of the Government of
Indonesia from Jakarta, or of resettlement countries, including the
USA, who came and visited the camp. The [Vietnamese] Camp Committee
always brought up the issue of insufficient food and some other
issues, in writing. We had always been promised that they would
recommend improvements but nothing ever happened...

Duong Van Giao
San Diego, CA 92105
                 AFFIDAVIT OF NGUYEN MANH HUNGFOOD RATIONS IN GALANG, INDONESIA
(based on letters from Galang and affirmations from new arrivals to
the US and Canada)                

ZDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDBDDDDDDBDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDD?
3                             3 1991 3         1992          3
3                             3      CDDDDDBDDDDDBDDDDDBDDDDD4
3Time Period                  3      3 Feb 3 May 3 Jun 3 Jul 3
CDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDEDDDDDDEDDDDDEDDDDDEDDDDDEDDDDD4
3Daily Caloric Intake         3 2170 32040 31973 31235 31973 3
3                             3      3     3     3     3     3
CDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDEDDDDDDEDDDDDEDDDDDEDDDDDEDDDDD4
3Percent of minimum           3      3     3     3     3     3
3recommended by WHO and WFP   3  89% 3 84% 3 81% 3 51% 3 81% 3 
3                             3      3     3     3     3     3
CDDDDDDDDBDDDDDDBDDDDDDDDDDDDDEDDDDDDEDDDDDEDDDDDEDDDDDEDDDDD4
3        3      3  Sardines   3   9  3  9  3  2  3  2  3  2  3
3        3      3   (cans)    3      3     3     3     3     3
3        3      CDDDDDDDDDDDDDEDDDDDDEDDDDDEDDDDDEDDDDDEDDDDD4
3        3      3  Soy Sauce  3 0.25 3  0  3  0  3  0  3  0  3
3        3 Per  3   (liter)   3      3     3     3     3     3
3        3      CDDDDDDDDDDDDDEDDDDDDEDDDDDEDDDDDEDDDDDEDDDDD4
3        3 Month3  Salt       3 150  3  0  3  0  3  0  3  0  3
3        3      3   (g)       3      3     3     3     3     3
3        3      CDDDDDDDDDDDDDEDDDDDDEDDDDDEDDDDDEDDDDDEDDDDD4
3        3      3  Cooking Oil3  1   3  1  3  1  3  1  3  1  3
3        3      3   (liter)   3      3     3     3     3     3
3        CDDDDDDEDDDDDDDDDDDDDEDDDDDDEDDDDDEDDDDDEDDDDDEDDDDD4
3        3      3  Rice       3 2.8  3 2.8 3 2.8 3 1.4 3 2.8 3
3        3      3   (kg)      3      3     3     3     3     3
3RATIONS 3      CDDDDDDDDDDDDDEDDDDDDEDDDDDEDDDDDEDDDDDEDDDDD4
3        3      3  Sugar      3 140  3 140 3 140 3 140 3 140 3
3        3      3   (g)       3      3     3     3     3     3
3        3      CDDDDDDDDDDDDDEDDDDDDEDDDDDEDDDDDEDDDDDEDDDDD4
3        3      3  Mung Beans 3 140  3 140 3 140 3 140 3 140 3
3        3 Per  3   (g)       3      3     3     3     3     3
3        3      CDDDDDDDDDDDDDEDDDDDDEDDDDDEDDDDDEDDDDDEDDDDD4
3        3 Week 3  Soya Beans 3 140  3 140 3 140 3 140 3 140 3
3        3      3   (g)       3      3     3     3     3     3
3        3      CDDDDDDDDDDDDDEDDDDDDEDDDDDEDDDDDEDDDDDEDDDDD4
3        3      3  Instant    3  3   3  0  3  0  3  0  3  0  3
3        3      3Noodles(bags)3      3     3     3     3     3
3        3      CDDDDDDDDDDDDDEDDDDDDEDDDDDEDDDDDEDDDDDEDDDDD4
3        3      3  Vegetables 3 280  3  0  3  0  3  0  3  0  3
3        3      3   (g)       3      3     3     3     3     3
@DDDDDDDDADDDDDDADDDDDDDDDDDDDADDDDDDADDDDDADDDDDADDDDDADDDDDY
                                                                
Note: The above numbers are official rations announced to the boat
people. Sugar, mung beans and soya beans actually received by the
boat people are considerably less than the amount announced.
Portions of the food distributed are also moldy and not consumable.
See sample letters from Galang for details.

     The minimum average daily caloric intake used in the above
table is 2420 kcal/day, a very conservative estimate. A more
realistic number would be 2600 kcal/day. Please see following page
for details.

    Calculation of Energy Requirement using Demographic Information
                (based on UNHCR/WFP Guideline)  

 ZDDDDDDDBDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDBDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDBDDDDDDDDD?
 3       3       MALE         3   FEMALE           3         3
 CDDDDDDDEDDDDDDDDBDDDDDDDDDDDEDDDDDDDDBDDDDDDDDDDDEDDDDDDDDD4
 3  Age  3Percent 3Energy     3Percent 3Energy     3  Total  3
 3(Years)3camp po-3requirement3camp po-3requirement3 kcal/day3
 3       3pulation3(kcal/day) 3pulation3(kcal/day) 3 for 100 3
 3       3        3           3        3           3 persons 3
 CDDDDDDDEDDDDDDDDEDDDDDDDDDDDEDDDDDDDDEDDDDDDDDDDDEDDDDDDDDD4
 3  0-4  3  7.22  3   1,200   3  7.22  3   1,200   3  17,326 3
 3       3        3           3        3           3         3
 3  5-15 3  2.94  3   2,500   3  2.94  3   2,200   3  13,824 3
 3       3        3           3        3           3         3
 3  15+  3 39.84  3   2,800   3 39.84  3   2,500   3 211,150 3
 @DDDDDDDADDDDDDDDADDDDDDDDDDDADDDDDDDDADDDDDDDDDDDADDDDDDDDDY
                                                     242,299
                                                         
                                         242,299
    MINIMUM AVERAGE DAILY REQUIRMENT:   --------- =  2,420
                                           100

    The above demographic information is partly based on available
    statistics and conservative estimates of unavailable
    statistics. See explanation below.

    Available statistics:

    Total population:    18,700 (as of March 92)

    0-4  (years old)      1,100 (based on birth statistics)
    
    4-15 (years old)      2,700
    
    15+  (years old)     14,900

    Assumption:  In the above table, the population is evenly     
                 assumed to be evenly distributed with respect 
                 to gender across all age groups.
                 This is a very conservative estimate. The actual
                 male/female ratio is more likely to be at 3/1, if 
                 demographic statistics of voluntary returnees are 
                 representative of the entire population. These
                 statistics are reported in UNHCR's "Operations
                 Profile in Respect of Refugees and Asylum Seekers
                 in Indonesia" Asylum Seekers in Galang,
                 Indonesia", dated January 1, 1992. 

                 For a population with male/female ratio of 3/1,
                 the minimum average daily requirement computed
                 according to the above method stands at 2580
                 kcal/day.

August 28, 1992

Madame Sadako Ogata
United Nations 
 High Commissioner for Refugees
Case Postale 2500
CH-1211, Geneva 2 Depot
Switzerland
Fax: 41-22-731-9546

Dear Madame Ogata:

I would like to express my very grave concern about UNHCR's policy
towards Vietnamese boat people in Southeast Asia and Hong Kong.
This policy has caused much suffering and even death to many of the
asylum seekers whose desire is only a decent life free from
persecution.

Yesterday, a boat person in Galang, Indonesia, immolated himself in
front of the UNHCR's office after being denied refugee status. This
is not the first suicide and, I am afraid, not the last. In August
of last year, another boat person in Galang also burned herself to
death after receiving a negative decision from the UNHCR. Similar
suicides have been reported in Malaysia and Hong Kong in the past
year. The screening conducted by UNHCR (as in Indonesia) or
monitored by UNHCR (as in Hong Kong) has been consistently
denounced as flawed by human rights organizations like Amnesty
International, Asia Watch, and Lawyers Committee for Human Rights.

In Galang, the distress of facing unfair screening is aggravated by
UNHCR's starvation policy which denies boat people of the minimum
food ration to survive in an attempt to coerce them to go back to
Vietnam. The food rations given to boat people in Galang are well
below the minimum recommended by UNHCR/WFP and WHO. The food
rations in Thailand are even lower. Cuts have been reported in
Sungei Besi Camp, Malaysia, as well.

I call upon your good office to stop immediately the policy of
UNHCR's branch offices to use food as weapons against boat people.
I also urge you to investigate the screening procedure being
conducted or monitored by the UNHCR. 

Your prompt action on these two issues will show that the UNHCR is
living up to her name as the protector of asylum seekers.

Respectfully,

signed,
address:


cc: Mr. Rene van Rooyen, UNHCR/USA, Fax: (202) 387-9038