10/3
Ma No.52
203CT1974
Nkkly/5
PS Astley Esq
South East Asia Department
Foreign and Commonwealth Office
Jear Philip,
ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS
BRITISH EMBASSY SAIGON
14 October 1974
Air Chapman
Вы берете
346
I have ancivered para I and actied for date of trial, when
by telegram. c to Ps / Lord Gorow- 3- Robut
HKIDDY
let
El Gr
D.P.S. Artiny
I
weddy
In the manuscript addendum to his letter of 20 September to the Ambassador, Mark Chapman commented that you would let us know if you heard that Amnesty planned to attend the trial o the 118 South Vietnamese who were repatriated from Hong Kong. am wondering whether there has been any further contact with
I notice Amnesty, and whether you now know how things stand. that, in his letter of 11 September to Martin Ennals, Lord Gor onwy
I Roberts has asked for a copy of Er Sanguinetti's report.
assume that this has not yet been supplied. Indeed, it may be that Mr Sanguinetti is still writing it somewhere on holiday, since I see from the latest letter from Donald in Hong Kong that there is no sign that Sanguinetti has yet returned to the colony.
2.
Incidentally, there is as yet no sign that the trial of the 118 has been fixed. We have three regular ways of checking on the date of the trial, and I contact each of the three at least once a week. The first line is through our Legal Adviser; the second through the Folice Frosecutor; and the third through
To the last named the Director for European Affairs at the MFA.
of these I have pointed out, emphasising that I was speaking personally, that the continual delay in bringing the group for trial was dangerous inasmuch as it provided ready ammunition for critics of the GVN should they choose to turn their attention : back to this case. I believe that the FA are aware of this danger (the Dutch and Australian Missions here also take a keen, if sporadic, interest in the case) but that they have little locus standi with the Ministry of the Interior and the Ministry of
There is Justice who are primarily responsible for the affair. little we can do except to continue to let it be known that we take a close interest in the case.
ever,
Yours
Sarid
A D Brighty
น
23/10
23/10
c.c.
A Donald Esq Political Adviser Hon; Long
COM/ TRIUMFJAL