TNAG-0496-FCO40-561-Deportation-of-foreign-nationals-from-Hong-Kong-1974 — Page 94

GR 200

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CYPHER CAT A

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LAST REF.

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REGISTRY No.52

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"

REF.

FM SAIGON 220830Z

23 JUL 1974

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HILILIVI

1974

TO PRIORITY FCO TELNO 193 OF 22 JULY INFO TO ROUTINE

HONG KONG.

YOUR TELEGRAM NUMBER 96: REPATRIATED ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS.

1.

FOLLOWING WEEK-END PRESS REPORTS THAT 16 OF

THE 117 HAVE NOW BEEN RELEASED, WE SPOKE TODAY TO THE POLICE PROSECUTOR WHO HAS STATED THAT 63 OF THE 117 HAVE

NOW BEEN INTERROGATED BY THE JUGE D'INSTRUCTION.

OF THESE

14 HAVE BEEN RELEASED AND THE OTHER 49 SENT TO CHI HOA

PRISON IN SAIGON TO AWAIT TRIAL. THE REMAINING 54 WILL

BE INTERROGATED BY THE JUGE D'INSTRUCTION IN THE NEXT

DAY OR TWO, AND SOME OF THESE WILL PROBABLY ALSO BE RELEASED, OF THE 14 RELEASED, 7 ARE WOMEN WHO WERE RELEASED CONDITIONALLY ON THEIR REPORTING WHEN THE TIME COMES FOR THE TRIAL. THE OTHER 7 ARE BOYS WHOSE RELEASE IS APPARENTLY UNCONDITIONAL. YOU WILL RECALL

THAT THERE WERE 15 WOMEN AND 14 CHILDREN AGED UNDER

15 IN THE GROUP."

2. THE VERSION OF THE MINISTRY OF JUSTICE IS THAT 16 WERE RELEASED, BUT THEY TOO SPECIFY THAT THESE WERE WOMEN AND CHILDREN. THIS FIGURE WAS AL SO QUOTED BY THE GOVERNMENT SPOKESMAN, HENCE ITS DISSEMINATION THROUGH THE PRESS AGENCIES.

3. THE POLICE PROSECUTOR CONSIDERS THAT THE TRIAL IS UNLIKELY TO TAKE PLACE FOR TWO OR THREE WEEKS.

BUSHELL

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SEAD

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PARLIAMENTARY UNIT NEWS DEPT

PS/LORD GORONWY-ROBERTS

PS/MR HATTERSLEY

SIR D WATSON

PS/PUS

MR WILFORD

MR MALE

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