Meanwhile. their relatives in Galang Camp suffered retaliation by the Indonesian authorities. They have become victims of threats and physical abuses. and their correspondences have been intercepted and confiscated. As a consequence of corruption. those with cash as well as collaborators. operators. and mistresses of screening officials are recognized as refugees and resettled. On the other hand. genuine refugees with compelling claims but without money to pay. or who refuse to offer their wives or daughters to screening officials. have often been denied refugee status and now face deportation. Many religious leaders severely persecuted in Vietnam. have been "screened out" because they have nothing to offer. For instance. Ven. Thich Thanh Lien. Chief Representative of the Unified Buddhist Church of Vietnam in Galang Camp was denied refugee status despite his strong refugee claims. In 1993. his disciples and colleagues in the United States and other countries had to pool money to pay Colonel Roesdi $7000 to get the screening decision reversed. Similarly. Ven. Thich Minh Hau. another Buddhist monk. was granted refugee status only after his disciples paid $5000 to the screening authorities so as to prevent his deportation to Vietnam. Several other monks are less fortunate. They have spent the past seven months in prison awaiting eventual deportation to Vietnam. where their Church had been outlawed. Thousands of former political prisoners. human rights activists. resistance fighters. who had been imprisoned for their U.S. ties during the war or because of their political beliefs have also been denied refugee status. In a number of instances. screening officials intentionally screen in only half of the family. Once resettled. they must pay to get the rest of their family out.
Keywords matched
refugees deportation refugee