TNAG-0495-FCO40-560-Deportation-of-foreign-nationals-from-Hong-Kong-1974 — Page 105

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5. LORD GORONWY-ROBERTS MADE THE POINT THAT THE DECISION WAS

FOR THE HONG KONG GOVERNMENT. THEY HAD TO BEAR IN MIND THE PRESSUPE

ON THEIR OWN SPACE AND SERVICES. THIS WAS A CRIMINAL RACKET. IF THE CROUP WAS ALLOWED TO STAY IT WOULD BE THE SIGNAL FOR FURTHER

AND LARGER INVASIONS. THE PROCESS MUST END SOMEWHERE. HE WOULD

BE PUTTING TO YOU THE POINTS OUTLINED IN PARAGRAPHS 2 AND 3 ALOVE

WHICH WERE UPPERMOST IN HIS OWN MIND.

LOPT CORONWY-ROBERTS THEN READ OUT PARAGRAPH (C) CF YOUR

TEL NO C48. WHEN MR ENNALS EXPRESSED DISBELIEF IN SOUTH VIETNAMESE ASSURANCES, LORD GORONWY-ROBERTS SAID THAT WE WOULD FOLLOW THEM UP IN SAIGON, WHEN SUCH ASSURANCES WERE FORMALLY MADE BETWEEN GOVERNMENTS THEY WERE ENTITLED TO ACT UPON THEM. FINALLY LORD GGRONWY-ROBERTS SAID THAT, WHILE HE WOULD PUT THESE POINTS TO YOU HE COULD GIVE NO UNDERTAKING ON WHAT YOUR DECISION OF SUBSTANCE

OR TIMING WOULD BE.

7. IT IS CLEAR THAT THE CRUX OF THE QUESTION IS THE POSSIBILITY OF ASYLUM IN THIRD COUNTRIES AND THE CHANCES OF MALTREATMENT ON

PETURN TO SOUTH VIETNAM, ON THE LATTER POINT LORD GORONWY-ROBERTS WOULD BE GRATEFUL IF HM AMBASSADOR SAIGON WOULD ASK THE SOUTH

VIETNAMESE GOVERNMENT TO REAFFIRM THE ASSURANCES GIVEN BY THEIR CONSUL GENERAL IN HONG KONG. HE SHOULD ALSO MAKE IT CLEAR, THAT IF RETURN WAS AGREED, HMG WOULD EXPECT THESE ASSURANCES TO PE FULFILLED. ON THE QUESTION OF TIME TO FIND POSSIBLE ASYLUM IM THIRD COUNTRIES FOR SOME OR ALL OF THE PARTY, LORD GOPONWY-ROBERTS AGREES THAT IT MUST BE LEFT TO YOU TO DECIDE WHAT IS REASONABLE IN THE CIRCUMSTANCES. IF YOU ARE SATISFIED THAT ALL THE ABOVE POINTS ARE MET WE AGREE TO A RETURN TO VIETNAM AS PROPOSED,

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