GRS 2804
CYPITER CAT A
CONFIDENTIAL
RECEIVED IN REGISTRY No. 51
18 MAR 1974 1974 ་
17
WIP CO 1415224
WFIDENTIAL
TO ROUTINE HONG KONG TELEGRAM NUMBER 281 OF 14 MARCH
LAST
AND TO SAIGON,
REF.
~ HKR 145
NEXT
MIPT AND YOUR TELNO 307: LY HANGS
1. AS WITH THE CASE OF KHOU SAN (MY TELNO 261) MINISTERS WILL WISH TO CONSIDER THIS CASE IN THE WHOLE CONTEXT OF LEGAL AND ILLEGAL IMMIGRATION INTO HONG KONG (SEE MI PT, NOT TO SAIGON).
2. ON THE GENERAL POINT A DECISION NOT TO RETURN THE LARGE NUMBER
OF ILLEGALS TO CHINA COULD WEAKEN THE ARGUMENT FOR RETURNING
THE FEW ILLEGALS FROM SUCH COUNTRIES AS VIETNAM AND THE KHMER REPUBLIC TO THESE COUNTRIES AGAINST THEIR WILL.
3: ON THE SPECIFIC ISSUES IN LY HAN'S CASE, THE DIFFERENCES BETWEEN HIM AND LEUNG PAK-KIN (MY TELNO 29) ARE APPARENTLY THAT LY HAN HAS BEEN DRAFTED IN SCUTH VIETNAM, WHILE LEUNG WAS A DRAFT
CODGER: AND SECONDLY THAT LY HAN HAS NOWHERE ELSE TO GO.
4. THE FIRST POINT PRESUMABLY INCREASES THE RISK. TO HIM IN SOUTH VIETNAM SINCE HE MIGHT BE REGARDED AS A DESERTER. WE WOULD BE GRATEFUL FOR SAIGON'S COMMENTS ON THIS, IN EXPANSION OF THE LAST SENTENCE OF PARA 1 OF SAIGON TELNO 409. ON THE SECOND POINT, IN SIMILAR CASES IN THIS COUNTRY WE WOULD FIRST EXPLORE THE
POSSIBILITY OF SENDING THE DEPORTEE SOMEWHERE ELSE. WE WOULD ASK HIM IF HE HAD CONTACTS WHO COULD ARRANGE THIS, AND MIGHT OURSELVES BE IN TOUCH WITH OTHER GOVERNMENTS. FAILING ANYTHING ELSE, WE WOULD TRY THE UN HIGH COMMISSIONER FOR REFUGEES. ONLY IF ALL ELSE FAILED WOULD WE FACE UP TO THE CHOICE BETWEEN SENDING HIM BACK TO
FACE PUNISHMENT, AND ALLOWING HIM TO REMAIN HERE ON HUMANITARIAN GROUNDS. IT IS DIFFICULT TO PREDICT IN ISOLATION FROM THE FACTS
OF THE CASE WHICH WAY A DECISION WOULD THEN GO.
5. IN THESE CIRCUMSTANCES WE SUGGEST THAT YOU SHOULD AWAIT THE
COMMENTS OF SAIGON AND THE RESOLUTION OF THE GENERAL ISSUE ON
IMMIGRATION.
CALLAGHAN,
FILMES
UK JOD
SEAD
MVD
STR.D.VATISON
ND YOUDE
UND
CONFIDENTIAL