GR 420
CYPHER CAT A
FM SAIGON 2008902
CONFIDENTIAL
CUVAD TINENTIAL
R.GISTRY No.51
20 JUN 1974
NKK 14 15 14/5
74
dol
TO PRIORITY HONG KONG TELNO 17 CF 20 JUNE,/INFO TO ROUTINE
FCO.
YOUR TELEGRAM NUMBER 10: ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS,
FOLLOWING FROM BRIGHTY.
LABY
REF.
55
NEW!
REF.
1. WE SAW REUTER REPORT ABOUT TRUONG HONG YESTERDAY AND
THE AMBASSADOR WAS ABLE TO RAISE THE MATTER AT A RECEPTION
LAST NIGHT WITH THE CHIEF OF NATIONAL POLICE, GENERAL
BINH. BINH CONFIRMED THE STORY AND EXPLAINED
>
THAT HONG GAVE A FALSE NAME WHILE IN HONG KONG, PROBABLY
IN THE HOPE THAT HE WOULD NOT BE RECOGNISED WHEN HE
RETURNED TO SOUTH VIETNAM, BINH ADDED THAT AS FAR AS
THE POLICE WERE AWARE, THERE WERE NO OTHERS AMONG THE
118 WHO WERE WANTED ON CRIMINAL CHARGES. HE ALSO EXPLAINED
THAT HONG HAD BEEN CONDEMNED TO DEATH ON SMUGGLING CHARGES
PRECISELY BECAUSE HE WAS THOUGHT TO HAVE SHOWN HIS GUILT
BY FLEEING THE COUNTRY. HONG WOULD NOW BE BROUGHT TO TRIAL
AND IT WAS VERY UNLIKELY THAT HE WOULD IN FACT BE SENTENCED
TO DEATH.
2.
IN THE ABSENCE ON TOUR OF THE AMBASSADOR AND COUNSELLOR, I CALLED THIS MORNING ON THE SECRETARY GENERAL OF THE MFA.
HE ALSO CONFIRMED THE REUTER REPORT AND EXPLAINED THAT HONG USED THE NAME DANG QUANG IN HONG KONG, AND ALSO SURMISED THAT THIS WAS IN THE HOPE OF ESCAPING NOTICE ON HIS RETURN.
IT WAS PUZZLING THAT HONG HAD NOT ANNOUNCED TO THE HONG
KONG AUTHORITIES THAT HE HAD BEEN SENTENCED TO DEATH IN THE
HOPE OF BEING ALLOWED TO STAY,
/3. 1 EXPLAINED
CONFIDENTIAL
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