PRIORITY
GPS 360
IR
CONFIDENTIAL
211
- 8 AUG 1974
CYPHER CAT A
NICICIY
5
FM FCO 071635Z
LAST
REF
CONFIDENTIAL
NEX
REF
214 215
(216) (222)
TO PRIORITY THE HAGUE TELNO 102 OF 7 AUGUST/AND TO PARIS CANBERRA
INFO HONG KONG SAIGON.
ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS RETURNED TO SOUTH VIETNAM FROM HONG KONG. 1. AS PARIS AND CANBERRA WILL ALREADY KNOW, 118 ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS WERE RETURNED ON 17 JUNE TO SOUTH VIETNAM FROM HONG KONG ON THE STRENGTH OF ASSURANCES GIVEN BY THE SOUTH VIETNAM GOVERNMENT THAT THEY WOULD NOT BE HARSHLY TREATED.
195) 2. IN A LETTER TO THE SECRETARY OF STATE DATED 1 AUGUST, THE
SECRETARY-GENERAL OF AMNESTY INTERNATIONAL HAS ALLEGED THAT THE DUTCH AND FRENCH GOVERNMENTS HAVE EXPRESSED WILLINGNESS TO ACCEPT SOME OF THE GROUP, AND THAT THE AUSTRALIAN GOVERNMENT WOULD BE PREPARED TO CONSIDER GRANTING ASYLUM TO A NUMBER OF THEM: THIS ON THE PROVISO THAT THEY WERE SET FREE AND ALLOWED TO LEAVE VIETNAM. IT IS OF COURSE MOST UNLIKELY THAT THE SOUTH VIETNAMESE GOVERNMENT WOULD RELEASE ANY OF THE GROUP NOW, WHEN THEY ARE ABOUT TO BE BROUGHT TO TRIAL. BUT WE DO NOT THINK THAT AMNESTY'S
64) STATEMENT SHOULD GO UNCHALLENGED. PARIS REPORTED EARLIER IN TELNO 728
THAT THE QUAI D'ORSAY HAD NO KNOWLEDGE OF THE MATTER: AND THERE
HAVE BEEN NO EXCHANGES BETWEEN THE AUSTRALIANS AND THE HONG KONG
190) GOVERNMENT OR OURSELVES (MY TELNO 610 TO CANBERRA). WE SHOULD LIKE
TO KNOW WHETHER THERE IS ANY SUBSTANCE IN AMNESTY'S CLAIM,
3. WE ARE ASSUMING THAT THEIR CLAIM IS THAT THE GOVERNMENTS CONCERNED ARE READY TO MAKE SPECIAL ARRANGEMENTS FOR SOME AT LEAST OF THE PEOPLE CONCERNED AND NOT SIMPLY TO CONSIDER THEIR APPLICATIONS UNDER ORDINARY IMMIGRATION PROCEDURES ON THE SAME BASIS AS ANYONE ELSE. IT WOULD THEREFORE BE HELPFUL IF YOU COULD ASK THE MINISTRY OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS WHETHER THERE IS ANYTHING IN AMNESTY'S CLAIM AS FAR AS THEY ARE CONCERNED.
/4. CANBERRA ONLY.
CONFIDENTIAL