CRS 253 PRIORITY
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CYPHER CAT A
12 AUG 1974
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FM SAIGON 1208002
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220
LXK
7415
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231
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COPY
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TO PRIORITY FCO TELEGRAM NUMBER 222 OF 12 AUGUST 1974. REPEATED FOR INFORMATION PRIORITY TO HONG KONG.
MY TELEGRAM NO 219: ILLEGAL EMIGRANTS.
1. SANGUINETTI LEFT SAIGON ON 10 AUGUST, HE TOLD MEMBER OF
CHANCERY WHO ACCOMPANIED HIM TO AIRPORT THAT, ALTHOUGH HE HAD MET WITH POLITE STONEWALLING FROM GVN OFFICIALS, HE HAD OBTAINED VALUABLE INFORMATION FROM UNOFFICIAL SOURCES,
BASED
ON THIS INFORMATION HE CONSIDERS ASSURANCES OBTAINED BY HMG
AND HONG KONG GOVERNMENT AS HAVING BEEN COMPLETELY INVALIDATED
BY GY. HE DID NOT REPEAT NOT SEE ANY OF THE PRISONERS.
2.
HIS MAIN CONTACTS, WHICH WERE ARRANGED BY INTERNATIONAL SOCIAL SERVICES, APPEAR TO HAVE BEEN WITH FATHER CHAN TIN AND MRS NGO EA THANH, BOTH PERSISTENT AND AS FAR AS FACTS
ARE CONCERNED UAUALLY UNRELIABLE CRITICS OF THE GVN AND
POSSIBLY OTHER OPPOSITION FIGURES. MEMBER OF CHANCERY FORMED
IMPRESSION THAT IN ADDITION TO THE CASE OF THE ILLEGAL EMIGRANTS
SANGUINETTI HAD USED HIS VISIT TO SAIGON TO COLLECT INFORMATION
ON POLITICAL PRISONERS ISSUE GENERALLY.
3. I AM NOT SURE WHAT SANGUINETTI'S EVIDENCE FOR HIS CONCLUSION
ON PARA 1 WILL TURN OUT TO BE BUT I SUSPECT HE MAY CLAIM THAT THE
118 WERE ''BRUTALLY ASSAULTED' ON ARRIVAL FROM HONG KONG OR
SOMETHING ON THOSE LINES - HE TOLD ME LAST WEEK THAT
HE BELIEVED THERE WAS INFORMATION OF THIS. HE IS ALSO KEEN
ON THE THEORY THAT SUBSTITUTES WILL BE PRODUCED AT THE TRIAL TO
MAKE UP FOR PRISONERS WHO HAVE DIED, BEEN SENT TO THE FRONT OR
OTHERWISE BEEN SPIRITED AWAY.
BUSHELL
FILES HKIOD (3)
GIPD
SEAD
MVD
MTD
NEWS D
PS/LORD GORONWY-ROBERTS.
SIR O WRIGHT
LEGAL ADVISERS DEF D
MR WILFORD
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