TNAG-0496-FCO40-561-Deportation-of-foreign-nationals-from-Hong-Kong-1974 — Page 88

IMMEDIATE

YPHER CAT A

GRPS 275

FM FCO 221866Z

CONFIDENTIAL

(HK)

(142)

144

CONFIDENTIAL

DESKBY 239 160 Z

1974

-TO IMMEDIATE SAIGON TELMO 98 OF 22 JULY INFO IMMEDIATE HONG KONG,

YOUR TELNO 200: ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS.

1, BAC'S DRAFT WITH THE PROPOSED ADDITIONS IS BETTER THAN PREVIOUS

STATEMENTS, BUT WE WOULD LIKE TWO FURTHER CHANGES;

(A) FIRST SENTENCE: PARA, 4(A): THE ADDITIONAL SENTENCE SHOULD READ QUOTE THE BRITISH AMBASSADOR CALLED TO EXPRESS HIS GOVERNMENT'S

CONCERN ABOUT THE APPARENTLY CONFLICTING PRESS REPORTS OF THE 43OUR-

ANCES GIVEN TO THE BRITISH AND HONG KONG GOVERNMENTS ABOUT THE 113

ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS REPATRIATED FROM HONG KONG. UNQUOTE. YOU COULD

POINT OUT TO BAC THAT THIS WILL OF COURSE BE THE EFFECT OF ANY FRENCH

VERSION AND IT SEEMS BETTER TO AVOID AMBIGUITY

3

B) LAST SENTENCE, WE WOULD STRONGLY PREFER A FORMULA DERIVED FROM

OUR PQ (WHICH WAS ITSELF A WATERED-DOWN VERSION OF THE ACCURANCE

GIVEN BY THE CONSUL-GENERAL 18 HONG KONG - MY TELMO 96, PARA 10

PLEASE PROPOSE QUOTE IT IS NOT EXPECTED THAT ANYTHING SERIOUS SHOULD

HAPPEN TO MEUBERS OF THE GROUP WHO WERE VICTIMS OF THE SYDICATE

WICH HAD SMUGALED THEM OUT OF VIETNAM, UNQUOTE. HOWEVER, IF THE SOUTH VIETNAMESE GOVERNMENT WILL NOT BUY THIS, WE WOULD ACCEPT THE FORMULA IN YOUR PARA 4B WITH THE DELETION OF QUOTE UNISUALLY WAQUOTE.

AS DRAFTED THIS IS ANYWAY NOT IN THE VIETNAM GOVERMIENT'S OWN!

lungkeer, siRCE IT COULD IMPLY THAT THE EMIGRANTS WILL RECEIVE THE

USUAL HARSH PUNISHMENT. SINCE THERE IS DISAGREEMENT ON THE ADVERB

USED, IT IS BETTER TO LEAVE IT OUT,

CONFIDENTIAL

IDENTI

/2. SUBGLUT