}
Foreign and Commonwealth Office
COIVED
London S.W.1
5 August 1974
198
From the Parliamentary Under Secretary of State
- 6 AUG 1974
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Dear Her Ennals,
WKK 14 15
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Thank you for your letter dated 30 July.
I am glad to hear that Mr. A.J.J. Sanguinetti will probably be attending the trial of the South Vietnamese recently returned from Hong Kong to Saigon. We have asked HM Ambassadors in Bangkok and Saigon by telegram to do what they can to facilitate hr. sanguinetti's visit. We have mentioned that, even if he is not able to attend the trial, Mr. Sanguinetti would like to see the members of the group.
We have seen no confirmed reports that the group have been maltreated. Concerning the assurances given to the British and Hong Kong Governments before the group were returned from Hong Kong, you may like to know that, following further representations made by HM Ambassador in Saigon, the Vietnamese Government issued on 30 July the following statement:
"The British Ambassador called to express his Government's concern about the apparently conflicting press reports of the assurances given to the British and Hong Kong Govern- ments about the 118 illegal immigrants repatriated from Hong Kong.
"The Minister for Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Vietnam reaffirmed to the British Ambassador in the Republic of Vietnam what he had already informed the Minister of State at the Foreign and Commonwealth Office in London, Mr. Hattersley: namely, that the 118 illegal emigrants who had been repatriated from Hong Kong are being treated fairly and will be tried in open court in the normal way according to the laws of this country. It is not expected that these illegal emigrants would receive any exceptional punishment."
Martin Ennals Esq.
Yours sincerely,
Toronen-Rokets.
Повство