TNAG-0496-FCO40-561-Deportation-of-foreign-nationals-from-Hong-Kong-1974 — Page 139

CONFIDENTIAL

SUPPLEMENTARY NOTE ON ANGLO/VIETNAMESE RELATIONS

1. Mr Bac, the South Vietnamese Foreign Minister who was his country's Ambassador in London until last Autumn, recently interrupted a Latin American tour to visit London and call on FCO Ministers. He called on Mr Hattersley on 4 July (the record is attached) and Lord Brayley

hosted a lunch for him on 5 July.

2.

On 17 June all but one of a group of 119 illegal immigrants to Hong Kong, all of Chinese descent, were repatriated to South Vietnam after the South Vietnamese Government had given assurances in London, Saigon and Hong Kong that nothing serious would happen to members of the group who were victims of the syndicate which had smuggled them out of Vietnam. Mr Bac confirmed these assurances when he met Mr Hattersley. At the time they were repatriated it was not known, nor did the illegal immigrants themselves reveal the fact, that the group included 21 deserters and a man under sentence of death for a criminal offence (his sentence has since been commuted to one of life imprisonment). There is considerable Press and Parliamentary interest in the case.

CONFIDENTIAL