2 Chinese Dissident Stowaways Land Here, Await Asylum Ruling

Two Chinese dissidents who had stowed away on a ship in Hong Kong arrived Thursday in Long Beach, where they were housed in a hotel while their applications for political asylum are processed by the Immigration and Naturalization Service.

Shipping officials said the pair presented themselves to Capt. K. C. Jeon of the Korean container vessel two days out of Hong Kong. They carried with them newspaper accounts of their arrests for pro-democracy activities in Guangzhou, China, Jeon said.

The two, identified as Guo-Heng Li and Song-Fa Wu, swept down the gangplank of the Hanji Marseilles without answering questions.

Jeon said the two had appeared in the ship’s living quarters on April 1, saying they had been hiding in the bow as the ship made its way from Hong Kong to Kaohsiung, Taiwan, then headed for Southern California.

Rosemary Melville, director of the INS’ Los Angeles asylum office, said the pair’s applications for asylum would be processed as soon as papers are filled out and interviews are conducted.

Meanwhile, the shipping line is responsible for housing the stowaways and ensuring that they appear for interviews with INS officials, she said.

Despite their evidence that they are persecuted dissidents, Melville said, there are no guarantees that they will be granted asylum.

“There are no sweeping rules one way of the other,� she said.