TNAG-0496-FCO40-561-Deportation-of-foreign-nationals-from-Hong-Kong-1974 — Page 82

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IMMEDIATE

CYPHER CAT A

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RECEIVED IN REGISTRY No.52)

FM SAIGON 230985Z

2 4 JUL1974

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TO IMMEDIATE FCO TELEGRAM NUMBER 203 OF 23 JULY 1974

REPEATED FOR INFORMATION FLASH HONG KONG.

/SIC7

YOUR TELEGRAM NUMBER 907AND HONG KONG TELEGRAM NO 775:

ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS.

1. I HAD FURTHER DIFFICULTY WITH MR BAC TODAY. HE DID NOT REMARK ON YOUR AMENDMENT TO THE FIRST SENTENCE BUT HE OBJECTED

FIRMLY TO YOUR PROPOSED LAST SENTENCE. HE SAID THAT IT WAS QUITE IMPOSSIBLE FOR HIM AS A MINISTER WHEN THE CASE WAS SUB JUDICE TO MAKE ANY STATEMENT ABOUT PEOPLE WHO MIGHT OR MIGHT NOT BE VICTIMS OF A SYNDICATE WHICH MIGHT OR MIGHT NOT EXIST. HE ALSO CLAIMED THAT IT WAS IMPOSSIBLE FOR HIM TO SUGGEST THAT NOTHING SERIOUS WAS HAPPENING TO A VIETNAMESE

CITIZEN IF HE WERE CONDEMNED BY A COURT EVEN THOUGH THE

PUNISHMENT AWARDED MIGHT BE LIGHT. MR BAC WAS NOT TO BE MOVED BY ARGUMENT, HE DID, HOWEVER, SAY THAT IF THE BRITISH GOVERNMENT SO WISHED HE WOULD SUBMIT THIS SENTENCE TO THE PRIME MINISTER: BUT HIS RECOMMENDATION TO THE PRIME MINISTER

WOULD BE THAT IT SHOULD BE REJECTED.

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2. I THEN PROPOSED AS AN ALTERNATIVE THE DELETION IN THE ORIGINAL LAST SENTENCE OF UNUSUALLY''. MR BAC SAID THAT THE WORD WAS OF SOME IMPORTANCE. BEFORE HE HAD SEEN MR HATTERSLEY HE HAD CLEARED WITH THE PRESIDENT THE FORMULA THAT HE MIGHT USE AND THIS CONTAINED THE WORD ''UNUSUALLY''. WHAT IT MEANT WAS THAT THERE WOULD BE NO PUNISHMENT GOING BEYONG WHAT WAS PROVIDED FOR BY LAW. HE COULD NOT PREJUDGE THE COURT'S DECISION BY SPEAKING SIMPLY OF NO HARSH PUNISHMENT. IN THE COURSE OF DISCUSSION HE INVITED YOU TO CONSIDER ALTERNATIVELY AS A LAST SENTENCE: IT IS NOT EXPECTED THAT THESE ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS WOULD RECEIVE ANY EXCEPTIONAL

/3. MR BAC

PUNISHMENT''.

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