CONFIDENTIAL
CONFIDENTIAL
FM HONG KONG
TO DESKBY 05090OZ FCO
TELNO 1433
OF 041336Z SEPTEMBER 93
AND TO DESKBY 0504OOZ NEW DELHI
INFO IMMEDIATE BANGKOK
RECE
051/2.
093
3
(M)
023352
MDHIAN 3800
2
له
Nin.
YOUR TELNO 581 TO NEW DELHI AND NEW DELHI TELNOS 803 AND 804 (NOT TO BANGKOK) : SIKH TERRORISM: INDIAN REQUEST FOR URGENT ASSISTANCE
SUMMARY
1. BY AGREEMENT WITH INDIAN COMMISSION IN HONG KONG, WE PLAN TO RETURN TWO OF THE THREE SIKHS TO INDIA VIA BANGKOK ON 5 SEPTEMBER, UNDER HONG KONG REMOVAL ORDERS. INDIANS TELL US AT LAST MOMENT THAT THIRD HAS GENUINE PASSPORT AND THAT THEY NO LONGER WANT US TO RETURN HIM. TO MAXIMISE CHANCES OF A SUCCESSFUL OPERATION, WE PLAN TO ALLOW HIM, IF HE WISHES, TO FLY OUT ON THE SAME FLIGHT. GOES WELL, A SATISFACTORY OUTCOME. BUT FURTHER MISHAPS POSSIBLE. INDIAN COMMISSION HAS RESPONDED GRUDGINGLY TO OUR ATTEMPTS TO CO- OPERATE.
DETAIL
2.
ON THE BASIS OF INDIAN LIAISON INFORMATION, WE DETAINED THE THREE SIKHS ON 12 AUGUST, ON SUSPICION OF CARRYING FALSE TRAVEL DOCUMENTS. OUR INITIAL PREFERENCE WAS TO DEPORT THEM TO INDIA, BUT THIS WOULD HAVE REQUIRED THE INDIAN COMMISSION TO CONFIRM IN COURT THEIR BELIEF THAT THE SIKHS' TRAVEL DOCUMENTS HAD BEEN FALSELY OBTAINED. THIS THE COMMISSION REFUSED FOR UNSPECIFIED REASONS TO DO. IN THESE CIRCUMSTANCES, THE ONLY AVAILABLE OPTION FOR RETURNING THE SIKHS TO INDIA WAS, AND REMAINS, BY ADMINISTRATIVE MEANS, UNDER REMOVAL ORDERS. THESE WERE SERVED ON 25 AUGUST. THE SIKHS ASKED THAT THEY BE RETURNED TO INDIA VIA BANGKOK.
3 =
THE INDIAN COMMISSION, WITH WHOM WE HAVE BEEN KEEPING IN CLOSE TOUCH, AT FIRST SEEMED CONTENT WITH THIS ROUTE. THEY ASKED US, AND WE AGREED, TO DELAY THE REMOVAL TO ALLOW THEM TIME TO MAKE SUITABLE SECURITY ARRANGEMENTS WITH THE THAI AUTHORITIES. SHORTLY AFTERWARDS, THEY TOLD THEY WERE CONCERNED ABOUT SECURITY AT BANGKOK AND WOULD INSTEAD PREFER A DIRECT FLIGHT TO DELHI. WE AGREED TO ARRANGE THIS AND BOOKED SEATS ON THE AIR INDIA FLIGHT LEAVING HONG
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