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amnesty international
International Secretariat
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REF.
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Lord Goronwy-Roberts,
53 Theobald's Road
London WC1X 8SP
Telephone: 01-404 5831 Telegrams: Amnesty London
Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State
for Foreign Affairs,
Foreign and Commonwealth Office,
London SW1.
Dear Lord Goronwy-Roberts,
19
15 AUG 1974
fotcery/S
August 7, 1974.
Batary -y of State Ack
Recd. 12/8 TO HIND
for drapere plus
مسلم
Thank you for your letters dated August 5 and August 7 1974. om I am most grateful to you for taking steps to facilitate Mr. Sanguinetti's visit to Saigon to meet and if possible attend the trial of the South Vietnamese recently returned to Saigon from Hong Kong.
Amnesty International is most anxious that Mr. Sanguinetti should make this visit, and that an independent international enquiry should also take place. As you are aware, we are seriously concerned that the deplorable conditions and treatment meted out to prisoners and detainees on Con Son prison have in no way improved since they were first revealed to the wider public outside South Vietnam. Amnesty's report on Political Prisoners in South Vietnam, a copy of which I presented to you at our meeting on June 12, documents these findings fully, as well as the numerous allegations of tortures employed in these prisons. We consider the reports on which this publication was based to be reliable.
In the light of this knowledge, any indications that the 118 South Vietnamese returned from Hong Kong may have been ill- treated must be given the most serious consideration. Our information on the reported deaths of 14 of these South Vietnamese and the 21 to 25 men of military age sent to front- line units without training came from people closely associated with the deported South Vietnamese and organisations of international repute.
The reports we received were so appalling that we felt bound to take some action which was to draw attention to these reports in the hope that our reliable information would provoke an international enquiry and so safeguard the lives and welfare of the remaining deportees in Con Son prison. In any case, the alleged deaths of 14 deportees and that 21 to 25 men of military age were ordered to join front-line units have been publicised in the Hong Kong press. Enclosed herewith are copies of articles appearing in the Hongkong Standard
Chairman of the International Executive: Sean MacBride, s.c.
Secretary General: MARTIN ENNALS
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PATRONS: The Archbishop of Canterbury, Great Britain Roger Baldwin, President of the International League for the Rights of Man, U.S.A. Danilo Dolci, Sicily
Jean-Flavien Lalive, Switzer- Professor Erich Fromm, New York and Mexico Lt. Gen. Sir Brian Horrocks, Great Britain Professor Salvador de Madariaga, Spain land
Yehudi Menuhin, Great Britain Professor Gunnar Myrdal, Sweden
Alan Paton, South Africa Dr. Martin Niemöller, Germany Sean MacBride, S.C., Ireland Professor Giorgio La Pira, Italy Professor Julius Stone, Australia AMNESTY INTERNATIONAL HAS CONSULTATIVE STATUS WITH THE UNITED NATIONS (ECOSOC) :
THE COUNCIL OF EUROPE : THE ORGANISATION OF AMERICAN STATES AND IS RECOGNISED BY THE ORGANISATION OF AFRICAN UNITY
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UNESCO :
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