Amnesty International
Group 139
Hilde Über
iemeisterstr.9
1 Berlin - 37
West Germany
VED
No.52!
LAST
REA
To His Excellency
the British Foreign Minister
Mr. James Callagham
Houses of Parliament's
London, England
- 7 AUG 1974
NEX REF.
|IUKK 14/5
(208
July 26 th, 1974.
Your Excellency,
With deep regret we heard of the tragical fate of 118 Vietnamese of
Chinese descent who, in a desperate attempt to escape the horrors of
war, had sought asylum in Hongkong.
We understand that it was utlimately the British Foreign Office's
responsibility when Sir Murray McLehose, the Governor of Hongkong,
gave the order for them to be sent back to Saigon on June 17 th
after President Nguyen Van Thieu had given guarantees of immunity
from persecution and punitive sentences for the group.
We note that such treatment does not comply with the articles 13 and
14 of the Human Rights which state the right for everybody to leave
his country and to seek and enjoy asylum from persecution in foreign
countries.
FOR
7
Now it is known that inspite of these assurances given one of the
refugees was sentenced to death in absence while the rest, including
children under the age of fifteen, was sent to the prison island of
Con Son which is clearly against the articles three, five and eight
of the Human Rights expressing the right for life, freedom and security,
that nobody must be subject to degrading treatment or torture and
that everybody has the right for effective judicial protection in
every country and for a public trial before an independant and im-
partial court.
With us a large section of the German public is alarmed that the Free
2
No comments yet.
Private notes are available after approval.