Refugees killed by Hanoi forces

Press, 11 July 1979, Page 8

Refugees killed by Hanoi forces

NZPA-Reuter Manila At least 85 refugees either drowned or were killed when Vietnamese troops shelled their vessel in the South China Sea last month, wellinformed sources have said in Manila.

Originally only 23 refugees were believed to have died in the incident on June 25 when they made the mistake of heading towards the only Vietnamese-held : sland in the area, in the disputed Kalayaan (Freedomland) group. Eight survivors who had managed to swim to a nearby Philippines-occupied island later told authorities that their boat had been carrying 93 people when the Vietnamese troops had opened fire with mortars, the sources said. At the time the Philippines soldiers said they had seen more than 20 being shot by Vietnamese troops on the beach of the Vietnameseheld island as the refugees struggled ashore. The survivors told their rescuers that the rest had either died of wounds in the .water or drowned in their ! attempts to get ashore. The incident was confirmed by the Philippines military a few days later, but details were scanty.

The Kalayaan group of seven islands is claimed by the Philippines as part of its sovereign territory, separate from the bigger, nearby Spratly Archipelago. But rhe ownership is disputed by Vietnam, which occupies one island, and by China and Taiwan, all of which claim the Spratlys. The eight survivors are now in a refugee camp at Puerto Princesa, on the south-western island of Palawan, 506 km south-west of Manila, where they are being cared for with nearly 2000 of their compatriots who have arrived this year. The Philippines is now giving haven to more than 5300 refugees in various islands.

In Copenhagen, the Danish Foreign Minister (Mr Henning Christophersen) has said that Denmark will cut off its! development aid to Vietnam because of the exodus of refugees from Communist rule. Of the aid, 46 million crowns ($7.8 million) would now be used to help Vietnamese refugees, and the remaining 84 million ($14.2 million) would be used elsewhere, an official has said. But Danish assistance projects already under way in Vietnam would continue until completed, the Danida official said. Danida is constructing sugar, cement, and coldstorage plants in Vietnam. In Tokyo, Japan has warned Hanoi that if the large-scale outflow of refugees continues it might find it difficult to continue its aid to Vietnam.