8 July 1974
From the Parliamentary Under Secretary of State
99
Rear
Кекс ремия,
Thank you for your letter of 1 July, with which you enclosed correspondence you had received from Mrs. Elsie Elliott, an elected member of the Urban Council in Hong Kong, whose address is 55 Kung Lok Road, Kwun Tong, Kowloon, Hong Kong. Mrs. Elliott was worried about the repatriation of the party of South Vietnamese of Chinese origin recently detained in Hong Kong.
Except for one man, who claimed to have been born in Hong Kong, all the 119 were returned to South Vietnam on 17 June - thr days before Mrs. Elliott wrote. This followed specific assurance to us from the South Vietnamese Government that nothing serious. should happen to the group since they would be treated as immocen victims of the syndicate which had smuggled them out of Vietnam.
When the Foreign Minister of South Vietnam called at the Foreign and Commonwealth Office during his recent visit to Britai Roy Hattersley took the opportunity to remind him of the assuranc given. Mr. Bac, who knew about the case, confirmed that the 118 who had violated the immigration/emigration laws would have a trial in open court and would not be harshly punished for these offences. He added that women and draft dodgers in particular would be lightly treated. You will also have noted Mr. Bac's reference, during his speech at the lunch you attended on 5 July, to his Government's respect for the rule of law.
I hope these assurances will help to put Mrs. Elliott's mind at rest. I am returning her letters and their enclosures.
James Johnson Esq. MP
House of Commons
cerály,
Дисара
Yosovery
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