The Rt. Hon. Mr. James Callaghan, British Foreign Minister,
Foreign
REGISTE No 52
Excellency,
25 JUL 1974
HKKIUK
HK
(claŇ Aku C● MUNNICALTH OFFICE”
Fu
2 5 JUL1974
ALLOCATIONS
SECTION
*
Eva Knigge
165
6 Frankfurt/M-50,
Am Schwalbenschwanz 65
Frankfurt/M, 22.7.74
as you well know, on June 17 a total of 118 South Vietnamese, 97 of whome had been trying to evade military service, were deported from Hong Kong to Saigon in two chartered South Vietnamese civil aircraft sent by the Saigon Government. Despite assurances given to the British and Hong Kong Governments that the returned South Vietnamese would not be "severely dealt with" all of them are now detained in Con Sɔn prison, awaiting trial. Con Sɔn is the site of the notorious "tiger cages".
,
It should be specially noticed, that a number of the group are children under the age of 15. Many of the deportees are people of Chinese origin who have few links with Vietnam, and had sought refuge with relatives living in Hong Kong. At least 97 men between the ages of 18 and 45 can be considered conscientious objectors.
In view of the fact that the Saigon authorities have not fulfilled assurances, I feel that the British Government should do everything in its power to ensure that assurances made to them by the Saigon authorities are adhered to, and that thorough investigation is made into the conditions under which these people are currently being de- tained, and the basis for the charges on which they are being bráɔught to trial.
I felt the obligation as an ordinary citizen whose ense of decency has been deeply hurt by these outrages of the Saigon authorities, tɔ write you regarding this matter and to urge your help for the innocent victims of a special kind of despotism.
I have the honour to be,
Excellency, Respectfully Yours,
P.S. I sent a
Subassy
३ ३
Eva Knigge
Eva Kuigge
similar
in Saigon.
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