European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - September 13, 1991, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Page 8 b the stars and stripes Friday september 13, 1991 rioting youths set fires in British City Newcastle upon Tyne England apr about 300 youths started More than 20 fires in an area of Newcastle upon Tyne and hurled gasoline bombs at police and firemen police reported. Britain s fourth Urban riot in nine Days began wednesday night and Cort tinted into thursday morning. It entered in the Elswick area a depressed Square mile of housing projects and Light Industry in the West of this port in northeastern England. The area is known for its nigh unemployment arid High crime rates. At a pre Dawn news conference. Sir Stanley Bailey chief Constable of Northumbria police condemned the rioters As ignorant and stupid. He blamed the violence on a Small group of troublemakers who had encouraged others to join in. Property set afire included a Public Library a deserted pub and other unoccupied buildings most of them abandoned. Several autos were also set ablaze police said. Some of the youths told reporters the riot was to protest police involvement in last weeks death of two men. The men aged 17 and 21, died after the stolen Auto in which they were driving crashed at North Shields five Miles Northeast of Newcastle with police in Pursuit. Rioting sparked by the deaths erupted monday in the Meadow Well housing project at North Shields. Police had branded the dead men As joyrides a a thieves who steal High performance cars and race them for thrills. Auto theft by bored and mostly unemployed youngsters is a growing problem in the Northeast and some other parts of Britain. Describing the violence at Elswick divisional fire officer Ken Horn said two fire trucks were initially sent when the pub was set ablaze. He said a Hail of stones bricks and gasoline bombs thrown by the rioters forced the firefighters to Retreat and leave the building to Burn. Later As the number of fires grew authorities sent a total of 35 fire trucks to the area with police in riot gear moving in to break up the gangs. A policeman carrying a riot shield walks near a blazing pub in Newcastle upon Tyne after youths rampage. Boat people swamp Hong Kong despite voluntary repatriations Hong Kong apr the largest Over group of vietnamese boat people returned voluntarily to their communist led Homeland wednesday. But Many More vietnamese Are still flocking to Hong Kong than Are going Home. A Cathay Pacific airline charter took 265 boat people from Hong Kong to Hanoi on wednesday. Catherine Bertrand the acting chief of the . High commissioner for refugees in Hong Kong hailed their departure. Bertrand said Quot i am pleased to see that the momentum Lor returning to Vietnam is  since the voluntary repatriation program began in october 1989, she said 9,626 vietnamese boat people have opted to return Home. In Thailand on wednesday a group of 89 vietnamese voluntarily returned Home. But Hong Kong government statistics show that the number of people heading Home is still being outstripped by the number of vietnamese converging on Hong Kong to escape hardship under communist party Rule. So far this year for example 17,749 vietnamese have fled to Hong Kong from Vietnam. Only several thousand have returned Home. Hong Kong a total boat people population has ballooned from about 50.000 last year to 63,176 As of tuesday Hong Kong government figures said. The exodus began after the  South vietnamese government fell in 1975, marking the end of the Vietnam War. The failure of the . Agency to encourage More vietnamese to return Home voluntarily has spurred Calls in this British Colony for forced repatriation. British colonial officials have also warned that they could reconsider their policy of a first  this policy lets the boat people land their rickety vessels in the territory. The Colony a government claims that most of the vietnamese now languishing in squalid Camps did not flee political persecution in Vietnam but rather left Vietnam because they were poor. It is these a economic migrants Quot that the government says should be forced Back. The government has instituted a screening process under the auspices of the . Agency which is designed to separate the a economic migrants from political refugees. Political refugees will be allowed to stay in Hong Kong until a third country in most cases the United Stales or Canada finds room for them. So far about 10 percent of the 21,349 boat people screened have been granted refugee status. The rest should be forced Home the government  Soldier Dies at 97th general Hospital Darmstadt Germany a amps a a Soldier assigned to Darmstadt died thursday morning at the 97th general Hospital in Frankfurt according to a statement released by Community officials. Sgt. First class Guillermo p. Sarmiento of co a 11th air defense signal in was hospitalized monday after he complained of severe headaches and circulation problems the statement said. He was pronounced dead at approximately 10 45 . Thursday. The exact cause of death had not been determined. Sarmiento 37, was a communications and electronics maintenance chief and was the company s acting first sergeant. He was born in Tamuning Guam. Survivors include his 10-year-old son Larry of Plant City Fla. His father Mario of Tamuning and a brother. Staff sgt Roke s. Sarmiento assigned to the 7th army training Center Gra Fenohr Germany. A memorial service is planned at 10 30 . Monday in the Darmstadt Community Chapel at Jefferson Village. British Soldier sentenced for desertion London apr a British Soldier who left his unit rather than fight in the persian Gulf War has been convicted of desertion and sentenced to 14 months in jail. A court martial on wednesday also found gunner Victor Williams 28, guilty of conduct a to the prejudice of Good order and military  it dismissed him a with disgrace Quot from the army. His defense counsel Helena Kennedy said he was Quot motivated by his conscience and nothing  Williams who denied the charges was accused of going absent without leave from his unit in Dort Mund Germany on dec. .�?T8, 1990, on the eve of his departure for the Gulf. He went to Britain win re he gave himself up March 9. While absent he spoke at a peace rally in London a Hyde Park and gave a television t interview. When the court of five army of filers announced its verdict after a three Day hear ii g and 70 minutes of deliberation Brig. Alistair Clrk asked Williams whether he had anything to say. A i would just like to state that have a Clear conscience sir Quot Williams  of 3rd inf div Soldier found dead in residence kitz1ngen, Germany a amps a the 23-year-Oli wife of a 3rd inf div Soldier was found dead thursday morning in the couples off Post government lease quarters in Kitzinger a division spokesman said. The woman s 26-year-old husband was placed in Mill tary custody thursday maj. Steven Shively said. Divisio officials will not release names of the woman and her Hus band or any other information until relatives Are notified and an initial investigation completed he said. Shively said the death is under investigation and a autopsy will be conducted. Sex aide to Goldwater Dies Washington apr Tony Smith retire speechwriter and press Secretary for former sen. Bart Goldwater died wednesday after a stroke. He was t Smith was associated with the Arizona Republican i several capacities from 1960 through 1980