CO129-539-2 Nguyen ai Quoc- arrangements for deportation 29-1-1932 - 31-1-1933 — Page 34

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on the 19th January the police meeting the s.s. "Ho Sang"

from that port observed Nguyen about to land and arrested

him.

4. Nguyen's solicitors at once protested that the

action of the police was in breach of the undertaking not

to exercise surveillance over Nguyen's movements outside the

Colony and further had defeated careful plans for covering

the deportee's tracks and was contrary to the Hong Kong Government's responsibility, for "using the best endeavours

to secure that the appellant should reach the place to

which he desired to go" without exposing him to the danger of

arrest by the French Authorities.

5. I do not agree that the facts support any such

view but was advised that in the circumstances it might be better to ignore Nguyen's technical breach of the deportation

order and to set him at liberty with a view to making a

further attempt to get away unnoticed towards his desired

destination which was declared to be Vladivostok.

Accordingly with considerable reluctance I directed the

police to release their prisoner and this was done the

same night (19th January). At the same time the solicitors

were informed that the law would only hold its hand for

a further three days. This they claimed was quite

inadequate for their object, namely, a secret departure

northwards and I was considering some further latitude

when they decided to take no further responsibility for

Nguyen's safety and informed the Government that he would

be leaving by the s.s. "Anhui" at 5 p.m. on the 22nd

January and called upon me to implement the undertaking

given on behalf of this Government at the settlement of the

·

appeal