PRIORITY
CYPHER CAT A
GRS 264
CONFIDENTIAL
RECEIVED IN
REGISTRY No.52
FM SAIGON 18015ØZ
18 JUL1974
CONFIDENTIAL
NICKLY/5
(129)
TOP COPY
TO FLASH HONG KONG TELEGRAM NUMBER 25 OF 18 JULY 1974 REPEATED FOR INFORMATION PRIORITY TO FCO
REF
NET REF.
√(122) (123
130)
YOUR TELEGRAMS NOS 18 AND 19: REPATRIATED ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS.
1. WE CONTACTED GOVERNMENT SPOKESMAN (TRUC) THIS MORNING.
HE CONFIRMS THAT AFP TEXT IS MORE OR LESS CORRECT AND WAS
GIVEN IN ANSWER TO AN AFP QUESTION, HE CLAIMS THAT HE SOUGHT
ONLY TO MAKE THE POINT THAT NO UNDERTAKING WAS GIVEN BY THE GOVERNMENT OF VIETNAM THAT THE 118 WOULD NOT BE PUNISHED IF FOUND TO HAVE OFFENDED AGAINST THE LAWS OF THE COUNTRY BUT THAT THEY HAD GIVEN AN ASSURANCE OF FAIR AND PUBLIC TRIAL. A STATEMENT ON THESE LINES WOULD PRESUMABLY BE SATISFACTORY TO YOU AND I HAVE ASKED HIM TO ISSUE A CORRECTIVE TODAY. 1 WILL LET YOU KNOW
HOW THINGS DEVELOP.
2. I HAVE NOTED THE STATEMENT BY GENERAL BINH QUOTED IN PARAGRAPH 2 OF YOUR TELEGRAM NO 18. ! AM NOT CLEAR HOW THE
HONG KONG PRESS INTERPRETS THIS AS CONTRADICTING EARLIER ASSURANCES. TAKEN WITH THE ASSURANCES BY THE FOREIGN MINISTER AS REPORTED IN THE REPLY TO THE RECENT PQ IT IS DIFFICULT TO UNDERSTAND THEIR COMPLAINTS.
3, I SHOULD ADD THAT MOST OF THE TROUBLE ABOUT STATEMENTS HERE ARISES IN MY VIEW NOT SO MUCH FROM ILL WILL AS FROM SHEER INEFFICIENCY IN THE GOVERNMENT MACHINE. COOPERATION BETWEEN THE AUTHORITIES CONSERNED IS MINIMAL AND THE MINISTRY OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS, PARTICULARLY IN THE CONTINUED ABSENCE OF THE MINISTER AND DESPITE MY PERSONAL INTERVENTIONS, SIMPLY DOES NOT HAVE THE STRENGTH TO INSIST ON A REGULAR FORMULA BY
BUT WE WILL KEEP PRESSING.
SPOKESMEN.
BUSHELL
PS/PUS
FILES
HKIOD
IRD
SEAD
GIPD
MVD
.NEWS D
PUSD
PS/LORD GORONWY-ROBERTS
PARLY UNIT
PS/MR HATTERSLEY
CONFIDENTIAL
SIR D WATSON
MR WILFORD MR MALE