TNAG-0495-FCO40-560-Deportation-of-foreign-nationals-from-Hong-Kong-1974 — Page 126

IMMEDIATE

GPS 350

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RECEIVED IN

REGISTRY NO 50

-6 JUK:14

FM HONG KONG 060938Z

HKIL 19/5

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TO IMMEDIATE FCO TELNO 621 OF 6 JUNE/INFO IMMEDIATE SAIGON

ROUTINE PEKING.

HONG KONG TELEGRAM NO 603 OF 5 JUNE.

ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS FROM SOUTH VIETNAM.

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SOUTH VIETNAMESES CONSUL GENERAL TOLD POLITICAL ADVISER TODAY HE WOULD BE GRATEFUL FOR COOPERATION OF HONG KONG GOVERNMENT OVER RETURN OF GROUP TO SOUTH VIETNAM. HE HOPED THAT MATTER COULD BE KEPT IN LOW KEY AND THAT IT WOULD NOT BE CONSIDERED IN CONTEXT WHICH COULD PROVE CONTROVERSIAL E.G. AVOIDING MILITARY CONSCRIPTION GR AS A POLITICAL PROBLEM. HE SUGGESTED THAT RETURN OF GROUP MIGHT BE SEEN AS COOPERATION IN A POLICE MATTER SINCE HIS AUTHORITIES WOULD BE INVESTIGATING THE ILLEGAL METHOD BY WHICH SOUTH VIETNAMESE WERE SMUGGLED OUT OF THE COUNTRY,

2. CONSUL GENERAL REPEATED EARLIER ASSURANCES THAT DRAFT DODGERS DID NOT FACE DEATH PENALTY IF RETURNED OR ANYTHING LIKE IT, THOSE WHO WERE OF MILITARY AGE WOULD PROBABLY HAVE TO BE DRAFTED AND MIGHT HAVE ADDITIONAL FATIGUES IN THE FIRST FEW MONTHS OF THEIR SERVICE. HE HOPED THAT PUBLICITY COULD BE AVOIDED,

3. POLITICAL ADVISER SAID WE WERE STILL CONSIDERING WHAT ACTION TO TAKE FOLLOWING CONCLUSION OF THE INVESTIGATIONS. IT WAS UNLIKELY THAT WE COULD AVOID PUBLICITY SINCE THE STORY HAD ALREADY BROKEN IN THE PRESS AND THERE WOULD BE CONTINUED INTEREST BY CORRESPONDENTS IN THE FATE OF THE GROUP. OUR IMMIGRATION AUTHORITIES HAD A STRONG INCENTIVE TO REPATRIATE THE WHOLE GROUP AS QUICKLY

AS POSSIBLE, BUT OTHER ASPECTS HAD TO BE CONSIDERED STILL. HE WOULD HAVE OUR FINAL VIEWS AS SOON AS POSSIBLE. . IN THE CIRCUMSTANCES

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