TNAG-0497-FCO40-562-Deportation-of-foreign-nationals-from-Hong-Kong-1974 — Page 113

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the normal way according to the laws of this country. It is not expected that these illegal emigrants would

receive any exceptional punishment."

on

6.

Amnesty have made forceful representations to FCO Ministers,

the Governor of Hong Kong and the South Vietnamese Government, the basis of unsubstantiated allegations which apparently first appeared in an article in the Hong Kong Standard of 28 July:

that 14 of the 118 have died; that the group were savagely beaten

on their return to Saigon; and that draft dodgers were sent

untrained to the front line. On 2 August, a Government spokesman

in Saigon officially denied that any of the 118 had died or that

any had been sent to the front line.

Alleged offers of asylum in third countries

7.

On 7 August, we asked our Missions in the Netherlands,

France and Australia to enquire whether there was any substance

in Amnesty International's claim that these countries were willing

to take some of the group. We also asked Canberra to enquire

whether there was any truth in Open File's assertion that the Deputy Prime Minister (Dr Cairns) had raised the question in

Parliament and called for an immediate investigation.

8.

The Hague replied on 9 August that there had been no

decision by the Netherlands authorities to give asylum to any of

the group, nor had they been asked by Amnesty to do so. The Dutch

Foreign Ministry had, however, just received a request from Amnesty to press the Vietnamese authorities to release the prisoners and to hold an enquiry into 'the cause of death of 14 of the 118'.

9.

Paris replied on 8 August that the Quai d'Orsay had been

informed of the case by telephone by the local Amnesty represen-

tative. However, neither Amnesty nor the immigrants themselves

made any specific request that they should be admitted to France,

and the Quai were aware of no French offer to help.

10.

Canberra replied on 8 August that the Australian authorities

had made no decision to consider granting asylum to any of the repatriated Vietnamese. The Australian DFA had not been asked by

any Australian Ministers or by Amnesty to intervene with the

Hong Kong or Vietnamese Governments or to say that Australia would

offer asylum.

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