TNAG-0496-FCO40-561-Deportation-of-foreign-nationals-from-Hong-Kong-1974 — Page 124

ON SEAD FILE

From Neil Kinnock, MP

HK

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Rt. Hon.Jim Callaghan, MP

3rd July 1974

Secretary of State for Foreign & Commonwealth Affairs Whitehall, London SW1

120

Dear Secretary of State,

·

I have received reports from interested members of the Labour Party and the enclosed photo-copy of B.B.C S monitoring reports about an incident on June 16th in which the British Authorities in Hong Kong handed over to the South Vietnamese police, 119 refugees from the Thieu regime. The refugees many of them women and children are apparently now in gaol in Saigon and since the Thieu regime's treatment of political prisoners is something less than humane, there must be serious concer for their fate.

If the essentials of this story are true, I wish to express a strong personal protest at the conduct of this case and ask you to obtain assurances from the South Vietnamese government about the treatment and conditions of these unfortunate people. In addition, I would be obliged if some means could be established of assurring that such an incident is not repeated since it would be to the discredit of Britain if we were seen to be indirect accomplices of the Thieu regime.

Yours sincerely,

Neil Kumake

Neil Kinnock

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